WHAT IS RISK ASSESSMENT🦺

WHAT IS RISK ASSESSMENT🦺

Risk assessment is the process of identifying, evaluating, and prioritizing potential risks or hazards that could impact people, assets, or the environment. It involves analyzing the likelihood and potential impact of these risks to determine the best course of action to mitigate or manage them.

The goal of risk assessment is to:

1. Identify potential hazards

2. Evaluate the likelihood and potential impact of these hazards

3. Prioritize risks based on their severity and likelihood

4. Implement controls or measures to mitigate or manage risks

Let's break down risk assessment using a thrilling example: feeding a lion. Imagine four scenarios:

1. Extreme Risk (25): Someone walks into the lion's cage without protection - a recipe for disaster.

2. Moderate Risk (20): The person wears protective gear, but still enters the cage. Better, but still dicey.

3. Tolerable Risk (9):Food is delivered through a special slot, keeping the person relatively safe.

4. Zero Risk (0): The person feeds the lion from a safe distance using a specially designed cage. Sounds perfect, right?

In theory, "zero risk" means no chance of harm. But in reality, absolute safety is rare. There's usually some residual risk due to potential system failures, human mistakes, or unexpected events.

The goal in safety management isn't always to eliminate risk entirely but to reduce it to a level that's As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP). Think of it like this: while "zero risk" is the ideal, real-world safety aims for the best possible protection given the