The Importance of Doing Hazard Identification And Risk Assessments
Hazard identification and risk assessments are two terms that you are more than likely to hear in the world of Safety, Health, and Environment. Although these two terms may not be the most understood in this area, many businesses often neglect the importance of carrying out these two processes effectively. HIRA is the first step in what is known as an emergency response plan. A hazard is defined as any potential source of harm. A hazard can either be physical, chemical, biological, or even human. The goal of identifying hazards is to categorize these hazards into groups based on how likely they are to cause damage and how severe that damage might be. After identifying the hazards you may find that some are eliminated from your final risk assessment due to lack of effectiveness, availability of a safer alternative, or resource constraints. Knowledge is the first step to preventing injuries and losses and so you've got to start somewhere! The idea of performing a Hazard Identif...