Ranking hazards by risk

There may be occasions when a priority list for action will be called for. Techniques for producing a ranking vary from the very simple to the very complex. What is looked for is a priority list of hazards to be controlled, on a worst first basis. 

The categories are capable of much further refinement. Words like time can be defined, increasing if necessary the number of categories. Many organisations increase the categories to take account of numbers exposed to the hazard as well as the duration of exposure. However, the more precise the definitions, the more it will be necessary to possess accurate predictive data. 

It should also be noted that ranking systems of this kind introduce their own problems, which must be addressed, or at the least known to the user. One is that longer-term health hazards may receive inadequate evaluation because 

Catastrophic imminent danger exists, hazard capable of causing death and illness on a wide scale. 1 

Critical - hazard can result in serious illness, severe injury, property and equipment damage. 2 

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The Council outlines a system for Ranking Hazards by Risk (Severity, Probability, and Exposure) . The manual states that Ranking provides a consistent guide for corrective action, specifying which hazards warrant immediate action, which have secondary priority, and which can be addressed in the future. ... 

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