Hazards in Risk Management 101

This post extends my earlier discussion on risk management, specifically as it relates to hazards, aka dangers.

A hazard is anything, a situation or object that has the potential to cause harm, damage or adverse effects (to people, the environment, assets or reputation). While risks may represent negative or positive outcomes, hazards relate only to negative outcomes. Consequently, they deserve special attention when there is a preference for a higher-than-usual level of risk aversion as with medicine, public meeting places, workplaces and other area that can affect human health and life.

For the most part, a hazard is always inherently dangerous. However, an interesting characteristic of a hazard is how its danger can remain latent under certain circumstances. Specifically, a hazard requires 'exposure', ie some behavior or condition to activate its potential for causing the risk to occur.  In other words, IF handled appropriately, hazards are acceptable like a menace contained within pandora's box as they pose only possible (NOT probable) danger. The probability of an undesirable outcome is 'minor & remote'. Conversely, if a hazard is not handled in the prescribed way, the risk rating changes. the undesirable outcome is 'probable & imminent'.

Example(s)

• Negative Risk: Chemical burn (effect)
• Hazard: dry sodium hydroxide (possible cause)
• Exposure: Adding water to sodium hydroxide.
• Control: Avoid the risk by never adding water or moisture to the sodium hydroxide.
• Control: Use Personal protective equipment like gloves, long sleeves, long pants when pouring the water

• Negative Risk: Death (effect)
• Hazard: lion (possible cause)
• Exposure: Breached barriers in a zoo.
• Control: Barricade the lion with moats or cages.
• Control: Barricade humans within their cars.

• Negative Risk: Skin irritation (effect)
• Hazard: perfumes (possible cause)
• Exposure: Using fragrance oils.
• Control: Substitution with safer, naturally extracted aromatic alternatives.

Identifying Hazards

Since a hazard is on the 'cause' end of a risk, it is helpful in the root cause analysis techniques like analysis by Fishbone diagram. As can be appreciated from the examples above, its level of 'exposure' or 'being controlled' is useful in the risk risk assessment process. Specifically, if a hazard is controlled, the probability score that the risk will occur is largely minimized. Conversely, hazards that are poorly controlled and to which there is exposure raise the probability score of the risk occurring considerably.

Although hazards are often identified within the context of predetermined risks (Fishbone diagram), hazards are also identified by site, task, tools, machine, substances, specific types of human interaction, etc. It may therefore also be useful to consider how hazards are formally categorized ... for the sake of checklisting during an inspection. Formal categorizations include WHMIS 2015. As with anything else, a highly customized approach is suggested for whatever your area. For instance, if you are concerned specifically with the staff selection process, you may use your checklist that may include core values, hard skills, soft skills and so on. 

Here are some other examples of hazard categorizations.  

• Physical. Example(s): Tangled wires in a walkway, slippery floors, loud noise, inappropriately used machinery, flammable materials, poor lighting, 
• Chemical. Example(s): leaking gas, dust clouds, noxious fumes, strong acidic liquids, strong alkaline liquids. 
• "Physical health hazards" may include: highly toxic agents; carcinogens; corrosives; sensitizers; irritants; hepatotoxins; nephrotoxins; neurotoxins; agents that damage the lungs, skin, eyes or mucous membranes    
• Ergonoomic. Example(s): Poor design of workspace, poor design of equipment, 
• Radiation. Example(s): ultraviolet rays, x-rays, microwaves, infra-red
• Psychological. Example(s): work overload, harasssment, discrimination, sabotage, threat of danger, stress   
• Biological. Example(s): infection (by bacteria, virus) through cuts, contact with contaminated objects 

Hazard Inspection Best Practices

Dealing with Hazards

As mentioned previously, hazards may exist without ever posing a real threat. After all and as seen above, they are inherently different to risks. Furthermore, they are causal while risks are the effects or the (negative) event. When tending to an incident, regardless of whether that event involved a negative event (like injury or other damage or loss) or a near miss which did not result in a negative event, this time, the cause or hazard should be identified.

• Ask witnesses and affected persons for their supposition of the hazard. Different interpretations of situation may arise at multiple causes or hazards. Assess all of them.
• Figure how to control the hazard. This varies across industries and will need research within the field. 
• Example(s): Compliance with Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals has a short list of 6 categories for chemical consumer products (flammability, acute toxicity, skin corrosion / irritations, serious eye ddamage / irritation, skin / dermal sensitixation, acute & chronic aquatic hazards) along with required label information (like product identifiers, supplier identification, signal words, pictograms, statements and precautionary statements).

• Assign tasks for controling the risk
• Reviews of performance of those tasks
• Routinely review whether the hazards has a different rate of potentiality.

CONTENT RELATED TO HAZARDS MANAGEMENT

• Risk management 101
• Incident reports
• Just to recap Risk VS Hazard