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The risk management systems used in occupational safety and health typically assess the risk of identified hazards using a tabular format commonly called a risk assessment matrix. Typically, columns are named with words indicating severity, and rows are named with words indicating likelihood or probability. Some risk assessment matrices use words r...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... all words and phrases identified, a set of 16 were selected for each factor, with the goal of including representation for the low range, middle range, and high range. The 48 words and phrases are listed in the three columns of Table 1. The left column contains many of the most common words for severity. ...Context 2
... middle column contains numerous words and phrases for likelihood and probability. The column on the right of Table 1 contains three dissimilar groups of words and phrases. These could apply to the frequency of exposure to a fixed location, frequency of an event occurring, or the duration of exposure to a hazardous condition. ...Citations
... Regarding risk management approaches, two papers contributed to the design of risk assessment matrices [1,2]. The first study addressed the terms used to define ordered categories of the two axes of most risk assessment matrices-severity and likelihood. ...
... The first study addressed the terms used to define ordered categories of the two axes of most risk assessment matrices-severity and likelihood. Data for recommending particular sets of terms were initially obtained by surveying undergraduate students majoring in occupational safety and health [1]. A follow-on survey of graduate students studying industrial hygiene also provided ratings of terms for severity and likelihood [2]. ...
... The set of eleven has three on risk management, five on work organization, and three on ergonomic work design. The international nature of safety research is represented by the countries of the principal authors: Thailand [3], Saudi Arabia [4], Iran [5], China [7], Poland [11], and the United States [1,2,6,[8][9][10]. ...
Occupational health and safety is one of the pillars of public health [...]
... Another practical approach to determining risk tolerance is provided by risk assessment matrices, which combines information on probability and severity to identify risks of lower or higher concern, typically expressed in the form of a twodimensional matrix representing various combinations of probability and severity (Bao et al. 2017;Jensen and Hansen 2020). A priority risk issue, of both high probability and severe impact, needs to be addressed with more urgency than other issues represented in the matrix. ...
Risk management decisions in public health require consideration of a number of complex, often conflicting factors. The aim of this review was to propose a set of 10 fundamental principles to guide risk decision-making. Although each of these principles is sound in its own right, the guidance provided by different principles might lead the decision-maker in different directions. For example, where the precautionary principle advocates for preemptive risk management action under situations of scientific uncertainty and potentially catastrophic consequences, the principle of risk-based decision-making encourages decision-makers to focus on established and modifiable risks, where a return on the investment in risk management is all but guaranteed in the near term. To evaluate the applicability of the 10 principles in practice, one needs to consider 10 diverse risk issues of broad concern and explore which of these principles are most appropriate in different contexts. The 10 principles presented here afford substantive insight into the process of risk management decision-making, although decision-makers will ultimately need to exercise judgment in reaching appropriate risk decisions, accounting for all of the scientific and extra-scientific factors relevant to the risk decision at hand.
... They found students had poor accuracy and precision. In a fourth study, Jensen and Hansen surveyed undergraduates studying OSH to determine how they understand various words and phrases used in RAMs [21]. Using results, the researchers identified sets of terms most suitable for naming the row and column categories in RAMs [21]. ...
... In a fourth study, Jensen and Hansen surveyed undergraduates studying OSH to determine how they understand various words and phrases used in RAMs [21]. Using results, the researchers identified sets of terms most suitable for naming the row and column categories in RAMs [21]. This article provides background on RAMs followed by a description of this follow-on survey of individuals with at least two years of OSH-related experience undertaken with the aim to reexamine the prior recommended word sets to determine if the prior recommendations are confirmed, or if improvements are desirable. ...
... This article provides background on RAMs followed by a description of this follow-on survey of individuals with at least two years of OSH-related experience undertaken with the aim to reexamine the prior recommended word sets to determine if the prior recommendations are confirmed, or if improvements are desirable. suitable for naming the row and column categories in RAMs [21]. This article provides background on RAMs followed by a description of this follow-on survey of individuals with at least two years of OSH-related experience undertaken with the aim to reexamine the prior recommended word sets to determine if the prior recommendations are confirmed, or if improvements are desirable. ...
In occupational safety and health (OSH), the process of assessing risks of identified hazards considers both the (i) foreseeable events and exposures that can cause harm and (ii) the likelihood or probability of occurrence. To account for both, a table format known as a risk assessment matrix uses rows and columns for ordered categories of the foreseeable severity of harm and likelihood/probability of that occurrence. The cells within the table indicate level of risk. Each category has a text description separate from the matrix as well as a word or phrase heading each row and column. Ideally, these header terms will help the risk assessment team distinguish among the categories. A previous project provided recommended sets of header terms for common matrices based on findings from a survey of undergraduate OSH students. This paper provides background on risk assessment matrices, discusses usability issues, and presents findings from a survey of people with OSH-related experience. The aim of the survey was to confirm or improve the prior recommended sets of terms. The prior recommendations for severity, likelihood, and extent of exposure were confirmed with minor modifications. Improvements in the probability terms were recommended.
