What is a hazard
A hazard is a property or characteristic of something, such as a work environment, material, machine, or climatic conditions, that heightens the probability of a problematic situation occurring. Hazards are active properties capable of causing negative phenomena. Similar to threats, danger serves as a source of risk. Hazards can be physical, chemical, biological, or psychological.
Examples of workplace hazards
- Work at heights
- Working with fire, flammable, combustible, and explosive materials
- Working with dangerous chemicals
- High or low temperature
- Moving machines or vehicles
- Radiation
- Storm, lightning
- Technical failure
Hazard vs Threat
Sometimes threats and hazards can be used interchangeably, professionals distinguish between threats and hazards.
- Hazard is of a more permanent nature, it is some condition or characteristic (for example, working at height means danger and increases the risk of injury)
- A threat is a more specific event or phenomenon
Why and why is it important to know the hazards
- Hazard is a Source of Risk: Hazards serve as the foundation for risk. Identifying hazards is crucial for effective risk management.
- When an asset remains permanently exposed to a hazard, the likelihood of an incident occurring significantly rises.
- Identifying hazards in advance allows organizations to prepare for potentially dangerous situations and minimize their impact.
- Hazard assessment is an integral part of comprehensive risk analysis.
How Aptien help manage hazards and danger
- List of possible hazards a dangers is part of the risk management system, you keep an overview of them together with the threats in the threat catalog.
- Hazards are a source of risk together with threats, so you hazard assessment is part of risk analysis
