Many hazards can be found in a situation where they are not causing harm to someone. Hazards may also be necessary for normal work to function, for example medicines being stored and dispensed in a pharmacy. There are scenarios where hazards can manifest into harm:

• A customer tripping, falling and breaking their hip due to a slippery floor surface
• A medicine being taken by the wrong patient, leading to them suffering an adverse reaction resulting in hospitalisation
• A pharmacist becoming infected with hepatitis C due to a needlestick injury from a contaminated sharp
• A member of the pharmacy team suffering stress-related illness due to a high workload.

The probability of a hazard manifesting into harm and the severity or seriousness of the consequences is defined as risk. This is sometimes defi ned through the equation: risk = probability x severity.

To assess the risk, the potential consequences of a hazard manifesting into harm should be considered. For example, a fall can be caused by the slippery floor but this can have a range of consequences, from a bruised elbow to a broken hip.

Compare the respective levels of severity of all the consequences that can be identified and the likelihood of each outcome. It’s also important to consider whether the likelihood and severity would be the same for every person who might be at risk of falling on the slippery floor. Age, for example, could make a difference. 

Practice points

• Make a list of the hazards relating to your work in the different categories. For each, describe a scenario where this hazard would lead to a risk. Make sure you include an indication of the severity of the harm caused
• Your colleagues are arguing about whether water could be a hazard or a risk. Explain how you would resolve the argument by considering the sort of risk scenarios that involve water causing harm.