Vaaratekijän

Vaaratekijän is a Finnish term commonly translated as 'hazard factor' or 'risk factor'. It refers to any element, condition, or activity that increases the probability or severity of harm within a system, process, or environment. The form Vaaratekijän is the genitive/possessive form used in phrases such as vaaratekijän tunnistaminen (identification of the hazard factor).

In risk assessment, vaaratekijät are identified and evaluated to estimate overall risk. Frameworks often categorize factors as physical (machines, chemicals), ergonomic, organizational, or human (fatigue, training level). Quantitative tools, such as risk matrices or fault trees, help compare factors by likelihood and consequence.

Applications span multiple domains. In occupational safety, identifying vaaratekijät informs risk reduction through the hierarchy of controls, from elimination and substitution to engineering, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment. In public health, risk factors such as smoking or age are vaaratekijät that influence disease probability and guide prevention strategies.

Although related terms exist—hazard, hazard identification, and risk—vaaratekijän specifically denotes the contributing element rather than the overall hazard itself or the event's probability alone. Understanding individual factors supports comprehensive risk management.