Risk Assessment Matrices for Workplace Hazards: Design for Usability

Abstract

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.

Risk-Reduction Research in Occupational Safety and Ergonomics: An Editorial

“…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 ].…”

“…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.…”

“…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 results of the second survey confirmed those of the first survey with a few modifications.…”

Advanced prescription of injectable anticancer drugs: Safety assessment in a European Comprehensive Cancer Centre using the risk matrix approach

“…17 In this context, we report here an a priori risk analysis focusing on the advanced prescription of injectable anticancer drugs in an adult day oncology care unit, using the risk matrix approach, also called RMA. [27][28][29][30][31] What is already known about this subject…”

Relationship Between Occupational Risk and Personal Protective Equipment on the Example of Ferroalloy Production

“…Plenty of occupational risk assessment methods exist. Most of these methods are both standardized and described in the studies [11,12]. Most often distinguished qualitative, quantitative, and hybrid methods [13].…”