QEHSRisk
Risk assessment
The process of identifying hazards, evaluating the likelihood and severity of harm, and determining appropriate controls.
A risk assessment is the foundation of any safety, quality, or environmental program. It involves identifying hazards (what could cause harm), evaluating the risk (how likely and how severe), and implementing controls following the hierarchy of controls (elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, PPE). Risk assessments can be qualitative (matrix-based), semi-quantitative, or quantitative (QRA). They must be reviewed periodically and after any significant change (management of change).