Difference between hazard and risk: Risk and hazard are two basic concepts in occupational risk prevention but they do not mean the same thing. Hazard refers to a source, situation or act that may cause potential harm, while risk refers to the probability that a specific hazardous event will occur and the severity of its consequences.
Stated another way: hazard is the imminent potential to
cause harm, while Risk is the probability of it happening. A simple example
that helps differentiate hazard and risk is a knife. A knife in itself is a hazard,
due to its potential to cause harm. As for whether it is a risk or not, it will
depend on who uses it. If an experienced butcher uses it, the risk of cutting
will be minimal. If the knife is given to in hand of a child, the risk of
cutting will be high.
To exemplify the differences between hazard and risk in a work context we can refer to a construction site. Working on a scaffold or the third floor of a building under construction implies a hazard in itself (working at a height) but the risk of people falling at different levels (that is, the probability of falling and getting hurt) will be different for a different person. Worker who is using, for example, the scaffolding that has a collective protection system (railings) than another who does not comply with the risk prevention regulations. The severity of the risk will also be different if the worker is working at a height of two meters than if he is 20 meters high.
What is the difference between hazard and risk?
It is natural that when having a conversation on
Occupational Health and Safety issues, the terms hazard and risk are constantly
exchanged. Firstly because the two terms represent something that can affect or
cause damage to health and safety, and secondly, because they are terms that
are closely related as will be seen by the examples:
Q: What are the hazards of working at height?
A: Fall (that is the wrong answer), fall is a risk, not a hazard. When
it is said that something is hazardous, it is referring to that something can
cause a fall. Work at hazards can be – not
provisioning fall protection, not complying with 100% tie-off, uninspected
scaffold, material stored near unprotected edge, overloading scaffolding platform,
working on height in adverse weather conditions etc. can cause fall and drop
objects.
Q: what is a hazard of electricity?
A: Shock (that is the wrong answer), shock is a risk, not a hazard. Think of the cause of shock such as using damaged cable, lack of proper
PPE, not using GFCI or ELCB, equipment not properly grounded etc.
The big difference is that hazard is part of our daily
lives, whether at work, at home, or playing sports, among others. The risk, on
the other hand, is the result of not taking the necessary measures to minimize
it. So muniriyathse (safety zone) brought to you the topic "Difference between hazard and risk"
What is hazard in safety?
Hazards are the properties of the agents or conditions
present in the work environment. Its degree of hazard is obtained by evaluating
the potential of the effect that said properties of the agents or conditions
can generate or cause.
By saying “properties" it refers to the attributes that
the agent or condition already possesses by its nature, for example: Handling
and storage of gasoline – Flammable.
The word "workplace hazard" is used to define single or
combined exposure capable of hurting health or life. We could say that they are
"hazards" the things that make us feel insecure, also called
"threats". The hazard has two properties or dimensions:
- Nature of potential damage
- Damage intensity: i.e. how bad is it?
For example, falling (risk) from an unstable ladder (not securing a ladder is a hazard), depending
on the height, one can be slightly injured or killed. Thus the nature of the
damage is physical to the body, and the damage can be bad enough to cause
death.
Types of hazard
- Biological
- Chemical
- Physical
- Psychological
- Ergonomic
Examples of hazard
- Untrained operator
- Working on yellow tag holding scaffold without fall prevention
- Poor housekeeping
- Poor lighting in the workplace
- Extreme weather conditions.
- Entry into a confined space without a gas test
- Infectious agents: bacteria, viruses, parasites
Mostly, the "degree of hazard" can be expressed
through magnitudes or measurements of its characteristics or properties, in
some cases even about the exposure time; For example: Flammability temperature
(Degrees Celsius, °C).
What is risk in safety?
Risk can be defined as the probability that a favourable or adverse event will occur within a certain time. For example, the risk of pregnancy in a woman can be seen as a favourable event for someone who wants to have children or an unfavourable event for a teenager. The probability that a specifically unfavourable event will occur within a given time interval.
Risk classification
- Extremely high
- High
- Medium
- Low
Dimensions of risk
The risk has two dimensions:
- Extension of the consequences and
- Probability of occurrence
That is, risk is the result of the combination of the
probabilities of an event occurring and its consequences.
Probability of an event
To better understand the classification of risks we must
consider the different levels of probabilities:
- Highly probable: when episodes are known where the event has caused damage.
- Probable: when some episodes are known where the event has caused damage or can become damage.
- Not very probable: when only occasional cases are known or the event occurs in very specific circumstances.
- Unlikely: There are no known cases, or the event can occur only by an unfortunate combination of independent and improbable events.
Consequence of an event
The consequences can be:
- Extremely serious: when severe and irreversible injuries, total disability or life-threatening consequences occur.
- Serious: if there is a temporary injury or disability with significant and irreversible injuries.
- Average: when there is an accident or temporary disability with moderate reversible illness or injuries.
- Light: due to injury or temporary disability with reversible effects.
Therefore, when workers are exposed to hazards, risks occur,
such as:
- Fire – Burn.
- Electrical energy – Electric shock, electric arc or blast.
- Height – fall.
- Structural elements – Penetration, cut or impact.
Difference between hazard and risk examples
First of all, the hazard is inherent while the risk is chosen. Secondly, risk involves two dimensions: on the one hand probability and secondly consequences.
The worker on a construction site all his working day is not
as likely to suffer a work accident as the technician who only visits the
construction site on rare occasions. The risk will be greater for the operator
than for the technician.
For its part, the severity of the damages that can be
suffered based on risk would be classified as low, medium or high. As can be
understood, the injuries that can be caused by working in front of the computer
in a non-ergonomic position are not of the same severity as those that can be
suffered by a worker who is surrounded by heavy machinery throughout his
workday.
A third feature that differentiates hazard and risk is that
hazards are identified while risks are evaluated to subsequently take measures
to avoid or minimize them, that is, to keep them under control.
According to the terms presented, the difference between hazard and risk is that hazard is what can cause damage, and risk is what can occur during the interaction or exposure to the hazard, as described in the difference between hazard and risk table:
|
|
Potential to cause harm | Possibility of loss, damage or hazard as a result of a decision |
Height | Falls at and from different levels, blows, wounds, bruises, fractures, sprains, dislocations and even death, dropped object |
· Nature of damage · Damage intensity | · Magnitude of the consequences · Probability of the event |
Sitting for prolonged periods | Ergonomic for static posture |
Contact with microorganisms, microorganisms and derivatives of plant origin | Dermatomes, allergic reactions, infectious and contagious diseases, and alterations in the different systems, death. |
Contact the electricity | Cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, ventricular fibrillation, severe burns, electrical shock and even death |
Poor or excessive lighting | Visual fatigue, headache, decreased dexterity and precision, stress, and loss of vision |
Exposure to ionizing and non-ionizing radiation | Skin alterations, dehydration, alterations in some soft tissues (eyes), congenital malformations, and cancer, among others |
Exposure to sound pressure levels above that established by standard for each activity. | Hearing loss, work stress |
Contact with equipment, machines, tools or machinery that generate vibrations due to their operation | Joint disorders, vascular damage (venous and arterial), alteration of the central nervous system, loss of hearing ability, back pain, decreased grip capacity, sensation and ability of the hands, whitening of the fingers or " white fingers", carpal tunnel syndrome, resonance vision disorders. |
Exposure to all those objects, combustible materials, chemical substances and heat sources | Burns, amputations, alterations of organs and senses, and even death. |
Exposure to blows by or against objects, entrapments, flying particles, hot surfaces and uncontaminated sharp objects | Wounds, amputations, soft tissue disorders, blows, fractures, burns and even death |
Exposure to: Liquids (mists and mists) - Solids (organic dust, inorganic dust, fibres, metallic and non-metallic fumes) - Gases and Vapors | Headaches, lack of coordination, nausea, vomiting, irritation of the respiratory tract, eyes, skin and gastrointestinal tract, burns, dermatitis, allergic reactions, asphyxiation, alterations of the central nervous system, cardio-respiratory arrest and even death |
Conclusion
In this regard, an OSH professional must know how to recognize hazards. Carry out risk assessments in workplaces and apply prevention and correction techniques to guarantee the safety and health of workers. On the other hand, it can be concluded that when safety measures are taken or established according to the hazard and/or exposure, the risk in the workplace is controlled, either eliminating or reducing it. I hope that the topic "difference between hazard and risk" will help you to differentiate between hazard and risk.
