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WORKPLACE-SAFETY5 MIN READ

Assess risk with severity and likelihood

Assess a hazard by considering who could be harmed, severity, likelihood, and existing controls.

The move: rate the exposure, not the noise around it. A useful risk assessment answers four questions. What is the hazard? Who can be harmed and how? What controls already exist? What further control is needed? Severity and likelihood help you compare hazards, but they must be grounded in real exposure. Look past the label. "Chemical storage" is not a risk assessment. "Unlabeled secondary bottle of corrosive cleaner used by night-shift sanitation beside an obstructed eyewash" is closer. It tells you the harm, people exposed, condition, and weak control. Review risk when work changes: new equipment, new chemical, new contractor,…

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