Risk Assessments - Hazard Risk number (HRN)

What If? - Hazard Risk Number - Fault Tree Analysis - Failure Mode Analysis - Preliminary Hazard Analysis - Safety Statements

The Hazard Risk Number (HRN) is a numerical figure that represents the severity of a risk once certain assumptions are made. Great care must be taken with this type of risk assessment since it is very easy to make the incorrect assumptions subjectively.

Used correctly, it is an extremely useful tool for it assists the assessor in the identification of controls that could be used to reduce the risk number and thus the risk.

It is also a very useful tool to ‘prioritise’ risks, where a number have been identified thus placing them on a work list in hierarchical order for elimination or reduction in HRN that is acceptable.

Coupled with other forms of risk assessment, e.g. ‘what if?’ method, the HRN can be versatile tool available to the safety practitioner.

When a risk has been identified, by whatever method applied, there are a hierarchy of controls that must be applied, i.e.: -

1. Eliminate
2. Substitute
3. Enclose
4. Segregate
5. Guard
6. Training
7. Information
8. Supervision
9. Communication
10. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

What If? - Hazard Risk Number - Fault Tree Analysis - Failure Mode Analysis - Preliminary Hazard Analysis - Safety Statements

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