Which principle focuses on eliminating or minimizing electrical hazards before a worker is exposed?

• A. Safe Design
• B. PPE-First Approach
• C. Designing for Safety
• D. Hazard Mitigation During Operation

Answer: (C)

The main concept here is building safety into the design so workers aren’t exposed to electrical hazards in the first place. Designing for Safety means thinking through all potential hazards during the design phase and putting in measures that remove or greatly reduce those hazards before anyone interacts with the system. This includes choosing components and layouts that inherently limit risk, using proper enclosures and insulation, adding guards or interlocks, ensuring solid grounding, and incorporating automatic protective devices that isolate or shut off power when needed. This approach follows the idea that prevention at source is the most effective way to keep workers safe, which is why engineering controls and elimination of hazards come before relying on PPE or actions taken during operation. PPE-only approaches protect workers after exposure risks exist, and addressing hazards during operation happens once the system is already in use, not before exposure. So the best principle for eliminating or minimizing hazards before exposure is designing for safety.