1. Risk management Be aware. Take care.
Hazards exist wherever you work. They can place you and others at risk.

2. Managing risk
Risk management is a process to help people to eliminate or reduce the risk of injury or illness to people and loss or damage to property.
The process has three steps:
1 identifying the hazard
2 assessing the risk
3 controlling the risk.

3. 1 Identifying the hazard
A hazard has the potential to cause:
• harm, that is, injury or illness
• loss, that is, damage to property or equipment.

4. 2 Assessing the risk To measure risk you need to:
• determine the likelihood and consequences
• conduct a risk assessment.

5. Likelihood and consequences
The likelihood of a hazard causing harm or loss is rated on a scale ranging from rare to probable.
The consequence of a hazard causing harm or loss is rated on a scale ranging from insignificant to catastrophic.
rare
unlikely
possible
probable
insignificant
minor
major
catastrophic
moderate

6. Conduct a risk assessment
Use a grid to establish the level of risk.
Plot the likelihood on the vertical axis and the
consequences on the horizontally axis of the grid
2 Find the point where the likelihood and
consequence of something going wrong meet.
The colour of the area in which the likelihood and consequence of something going wrong meet indicates the level of risk which ranges from low to extreme.

7. Risk assessment grid LIKELIHOOD C O N S E Q U E N C E Extreme risk
Probable
LIKELIHOOD
High risk
Likely
Medium risk
Possible
Unlikely
Low risk
Rare
Insignificant
Minor
Moderate
Major
Catastrophic
C O N S E Q U E N C E

8. 3 Controlling the risk To control risk you need to:
• eliminate the hazard
• reduce the likelihood or consequences of the
hazard.

9. To eliminate the hazard you can:
• remove
• replace
• repair.
To reduce the likelihood or consequence of a hazard you should:
• follow safe work practices (conduct yourself
responsibly and use equipment appropriately)
• wear protective gear such as eyewear, footwear,
clothing.