PPE is considered a substitute for engineering controls when they are too expensive to implement.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is designed to protect individuals from hazards that cannot be completely eliminated through engineering controls, administrative controls, or safe work practices. These engineering controls usually involve physical modifications to the workplace or processes to reduce exposure to hazards, such as ventilation systems, safety barriers, or safeguarding machinery.

The role of PPE is complementary and not a substitute for these engineering controls. If engineering controls are deemed too expensive to implement, relying solely on PPE may not provide adequate protection for workers and is generally not an acceptable safety practice. Instead, the hierarchy of controls suggests that if a hazard cannot be effectively managed through engineering controls, other measures, including administrative controls and PPE, must be used in conjunction with other strategies to ensure safety.

Thus, saying PPE substitutes for engineering controls misrepresents the effective approach to workplace safety, underlining why the correct response indicates that the statement is false.