Which item is an engineering control?

Which item is an engineering control?

• A. Negative Pressure Ventilation
• B. Immunoprophylaxis
• C. Use of Standard Precautions
• D. Isolation/Quarantine and Movement Restriction

Answer: (A)

Engineering controls are physical changes to the environment that reduce exposure without relying on people’s behavior. Negative pressure ventilation fits this because it uses the building’s ventilation system to create a lower pressure in a room relative to surrounding areas, so air flows into the room and contaminated air is exhausted away (often through filtration or to the outside). This containment happens through the system design itself, not through how someone behaves or through medical interventions. Immunoprophylaxis is a medical preventive measure that reduces susceptibility to infection, not a modification of the physical environment. Use of Standard Precautions involves practices and PPE to minimize risk, which are administrative/behavioral controls rather than engineering. Isolation/quarantine and movement restrictions are public health administrative controls aimed at limiting spread through policies and procedures, not by changing how air moves or is filtered.

Engineering controls are physical changes to the environment that reduce exposure without relying on people’s behavior. Negative pressure ventilation fits this because it uses the building’s ventilation system to create a lower pressure in a room relative to surrounding areas, so air flows into the room and contaminated air is exhausted away (often through filtration or to the outside). This containment happens through the system design itself, not through how someone behaves or through medical interventions.

Immunoprophylaxis is a medical preventive measure that reduces susceptibility to infection, not a modification of the physical environment. Use of Standard Precautions involves practices and PPE to minimize risk, which are administrative/behavioral controls rather than engineering. Isolation/quarantine and movement restrictions are public health administrative controls aimed at limiting spread through policies and procedures, not by changing how air moves or is filtered.