hazardmanagement

Hazard management is the systematic process of identifying, assessing, and controlling hazards to prevent harm to people, property, the environment, and organizational objectives. It applies across workplaces, processes, products, projects, and public settings, and it is a core element of safety, health, and operational resilience.

The hazard management cycle typically includes: hazard identification and reporting; risk assessment (estimating likelihood and consequence); risk evaluation against defined criteria; selection and implementation of risk controls using the hierarchy of controls (elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE); verification of control effectiveness; and ongoing monitoring, audit, and review. Documented outputs include a hazard or risk register, standard operating procedures, and emergency plans.

Techniques: HAZID, HAZOP, What-If analyses, job safety analysis, safety inspections, and incident investigations. Data collection and trend analysis support continuous improvement.

Governance and standards: many organizations align hazard management with international standards such as ISO 31000 for risk management and ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety management systems, along with sector-specific regulations. The approach emphasizes worker involvement, leadership commitment, and a culture of learning from near misses and incidents.

Outcomes and challenges: effective hazard management reduces the likelihood and severity of harm, supports risk-informed decision making, and enhances resilience. Challenges include dynamic risk profiles, data quality, resource constraints, and maintaining up-to-date hazard information.