Incident Severity Matrix

Typically a 5×5 or 4×4 matrix. Consequence axes: people (first aid → fatality), environment (no impact → catastrophic), assets ($0 → major loss), reputation (no media → international). Likelihood axes: almost certain, likely, possible, unlikely, rare. The intersecting cell determines severity level (S1–S5), which drives investigation depth, escalation protocol, and reporting requirements.