Look at the two photos below. What are the significant hazards of crossing these roads and are they different?
In fact the hazards are the same . On both roads – if you ignore the sheep – the hazard is that you could be hit by a vehicle.
The hazards can be the same but the risks can be very different
A Hazard is simply something that can cause harm. The risk refers to the likelihood and severity of that harm
On the motorway (left hand image) compared with the country road:
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- There is more traffic and the road is wider, so you are more likely to be hit by a vehicle
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- The traffic is (usually) going faster, so any impact will cause more damage.
The risk in an event is a combination of the likelihood of the event happening and the severity of any harm that it can cause.
