Stop Guessing: The Risk Rating Matrix Pros Use

 Stop Guessing: The Risk Rating Matrix Pros Use

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What it is?--

A simple 5×5 grid that scores any task or hazard by Likelihood (1–5) × Consequence/Severity (1–5). The product is your Risk Score—the color tells you how fast to act.

How it works (industry way)--

1). Define the task & exposure (who/where/when).

2). List hazards (energy, substance, environment, people).

3). Score Likelihood: 1 (rare) … 5 (frequent).

4). Score Severity: 1 (first-aid) … 5 (fatal/multiple).

5). Multiply L×S → Risk Score and color:

    1–4 Green = Low → keep controls, monitor.

    5–9 Yellow = Moderate → improve with a due date.

    10–16 Orange = High → act soon; management oversight.

    17–25 Red = Extreme → stop work until reduced.

6). Apply controls (see next post), then re-score. Record your rationale.

👷 How professionals keep it reliable---

* Use a shared scale for what 1–5 means at your site.

* Score before & after control measures.

* Attach evidence (incident data, measurements, SDS, photos).

* Review at change points (new process, equipment, location).

🚧 Common mistakes to avoid----

* Jumping straight to PPE without reducing the hazard.

* Inflating/deflating scores to justify a decision.

* Forgetting people outside the task (neighbors, visitors, public).

📌Who this is for: This approach is standard for industry professionals—the way EHS, process safety, and site leaders quantify and prioritize risk.

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