What’s the difference between hazard and risk?

A hazard is anything that can cause harm.  This includes a person’s behaviour where that behaviour has the potential to cause death, injury, or illness to a person.

Risk involves assessing both the likelihood of harm and the severity of harm arising from a hazard.

For example, a business identifies that there is a hazard of aggressive behaviour from the public. However, the risk may be different for staff from different sites.

The risk is higher for staff who wear the company uniform and work at the front counter compared to those who work in the call centre in a nearby unmarked building with secure access and don’t wear a uniform.