NFPA 70E risk control hierarchy uses numbers where lower numbers indicate greater effectiveness. Which statement is true?

NFPA 70E risk control hierarchy uses numbers where lower numbers indicate greater effectiveness. Which statement is true?

• A. A higher numbered control is always more effective
• B. The lower the number, the greater the effectiveness
• C. Numbers do not indicate effectiveness
• D. Only the top two numbers indicate effectiveness

Answer: (B)

The risk control hierarchy in NFPA 70E is arranged so that more effective protective measures carry lower numbers. This means the strongest controls—those that physically remove or greatly reduce exposure, like de-energizing equipment or installing guarding and interlocks—are at the low end of the scale. As you move to higher numbers, the controls become less reliable at reducing risk and rely more on human action or protective gear (which are less consistently protective). So, the statement that the lower the number, the greater the effectiveness is true. For example, shutting off and locking out a circuit is far more protective than relying solely on personal protective equipment. The other ideas don’t fit because higher-numbered controls are not inherently more effective, the numbers do indicate relative effectiveness, and the scale reflects a range of effectiveness rather than just the top two numbers.

The risk control hierarchy in NFPA 70E is arranged so that more effective protective measures carry lower numbers. This means the strongest controls—those that physically remove or greatly reduce exposure, like de-energizing equipment or installing guarding and interlocks—are at the low end of the scale. As you move to higher numbers, the controls become less reliable at reducing risk and rely more on human action or protective gear (which are less consistently protective). So, the statement that the lower the number, the greater the effectiveness is true.

For example, shutting off and locking out a circuit is far more protective than relying solely on personal protective equipment. The other ideas don’t fit because higher-numbered controls are not inherently more effective, the numbers do indicate relative effectiveness, and the scale reflects a range of effectiveness rather than just the top two numbers.