What is the difference between a hazard assessment and a risk assessment in EHS practice?

What is the difference between a hazard assessment and a risk assessment in EHS practice?

• A. Hazard assessment identifies inherent hazards.
• B. Hazard assessment estimates likelihood and consequences to determine controls.
• C. Hazard assessment identifies inherent hazards; risk assessment estimates likelihood and consequence to determine controls.
• D. Hazard assessment is optional and redundant.

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that a hazard assessment looks at what could cause harm, independent of how it might be used or encountered. It identifies inherent hazards—toxicity, flammability, reactivity, physical injury potential, or other dangerous properties—without considering whether people will be exposed or how often. A risk assessment adds the exposure part: it estimates how likely people are to encounter the hazard, under specific conditions, and what the consequences could be if exposure occurs. It combines the hazard with factors like exposure frequency, duration, concentration or dose, routes of entry, and existing controls to determine risk and to decide what controls are needed. In practice you identify the hazards first, then evaluate the exposure scenarios and consequences to prioritize actions and select appropriate controls based on risk. For example, a chemical might be hazardous by inhalation (hazard), but if exposure is negligible and well-controlled by ventilation and PPE, the risk is low; if exposure is frequent and high, risk is high and stronger controls are warranted.

The key idea is that a hazard assessment looks at what could cause harm, independent of how it might be used or encountered. It identifies inherent hazards—toxicity, flammability, reactivity, physical injury potential, or other dangerous properties—without considering whether people will be exposed or how often.

A risk assessment adds the exposure part: it estimates how likely people are to encounter the hazard, under specific conditions, and what the consequences could be if exposure occurs. It combines the hazard with factors like exposure frequency, duration, concentration or dose, routes of entry, and existing controls to determine risk and to decide what controls are needed.

In practice you identify the hazards first, then evaluate the exposure scenarios and consequences to prioritize actions and select appropriate controls based on risk. For example, a chemical might be hazardous by inhalation (hazard), but if exposure is negligible and well-controlled by ventilation and PPE, the risk is low; if exposure is frequent and high, risk is high and stronger controls are warranted.