Which statement best differentiates hazard identification from risk assessment?

• A. Hazard identification evaluates likelihood; risk assessment identifies controls.
• B. Hazard identification eliminates hazards; risk assessment assigns blame.
• C. Hazard identification finds potential hazards; risk assessment evaluates likelihood and consequences to determine risk levels.
• D. Hazard identification defines severity only; risk assessment defines feasibility.

Answer: (C)

The key idea here is that hazard identification is about spotting what could cause harm, while risk assessment is about judging how likely that harm is to occur and how serious it could be, so you can determine the overall risk level and prioritize controls.

Hazard identification finds potential hazards in a process or environment—things that could cause injury or damage. Risk assessment then takes those hazards and evaluates both the probability of harm occurring and the consequences if it does, producing a risk level that helps decide what controls are needed. For example, a wet floor is a potential hazard, and the risk assessment would consider how likely someone is to slip and how bad the injury could be to determine whether signage, mats, or other measures are required.

This differs from notions that hazard identification already evaluates likelihood or that risk assessment is about blame or only about severity or feasibility. Those ideas mix up the phases and what each step is meant to accomplish.