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Risk assessment key principles: defining 'risk'
In health and safety terms 'risk' is closely associated with 'hazard'.
It's important to recognise though that the two terms mean different things.
 In the previous section, we defined a
hazard as something with the potential to cause harm. The best way to describe risk
is to say that it's the likelihood of that harm actually occurring.
Assessing risks
 We all unconsciously assess risks as a normal part of our everyday lives.
For example when you want cross a busy road you'll judge the speed and
distance of the oncoming traffic and then make a decision as to whether
you can safely cross before it
arrives.
To categorise risks you need to consider how likely it is that harm
will occur in a particular situation, as well as how severe the harmful outcome could be.
Considering these two factors together means we can judge risks as high, medium, low or insignificant.
The risk matrix in the toolkit on the top toolbar can be useful to help you do this.
Prioritising action and avoiding risks
Categorising risk is an important part of risk assessment because
it allows you to focus attention on reducing risks where it's needed most
- where accidents are most likely to happen.
The most important principle of risk
assessment is to try to avoid risks altogether.
When you identify risks in your workplace, the best possible outcome of your risk assessment would
be that the risks are eliminated.
The most effective way to avoid risks is to
simply remove the hazard. In the real world this isn't always an option. If that's the case then attention needs to be turned to reducing
the risk of the hazard causing harm as far as is reasonably possible.
What the law says is 'reasonable' is covered in more detail later on in the tutorial.
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