MANAGING RISKS FROM PROCESS SYSTEMS

The terms hazard and risk appear extensively throughout this book and it is vital to be clear about what we mean by these terms. In popular parlance they are often used interchangeably. However in the context of process systems we make a clear distinction between these two complementary terms.

Hazard:
In the case of hazard we understand this to be an attribute of a thing or activity that has the potential for harm or loss. The term risk relates to chance or probability of harm or loss. The following sets out formal definitions of the terms, giving a range of examples to illustrate the concepts. Hazard can be formally expressed as: "a source of potential harm or a situation with a potential to cause loss."This is a definition in-line with that developed by safety professionals (Jones,1992) or national standards like AS4360 (Standards Australia 2004).

In the context of an industrial operation the following can be regarded as hazards:
(i) The presence of high pressures or temperatures in the system
(ii) The act of smoking in certain areas
(iii) Explosive properties of a material
(iv) Inappropriate behaviour of staff
(v) Storage of large quantities of toxic substances
(vi) Industrial operations near to high population density urban areas.