Hazard
A source of potential harm. Harm may be injury, ill health, or, where the instrument says so, damage to property or the environment.
Also known as
By jurisdiction
UK HSE
“hazard”SharedUsed throughout HSE legislation and guidance but not defined in HSWA 1974 itself. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3, requires employers to assess risks to which employees and others are exposed but uses hazard in a descriptive rather than a defined sense. HSE guidance defines hazard as anything that may cause harm.
Irish HSA
“hazard”SharedUsed throughout the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 without a single statutory definition. Section 19 requires a written assessment of hazards and risks. HSA guidance treats hazard as a source of potential harm consistent with professional usage.
US OSHA
“hazard”SharedNot defined in a single general provision. Individual OSHA standards define hazard within their scope; for example 29 CFR 1910.1200 defines health hazard and physical hazard for HazCom purposes. The General Duty Clause refers to recognised hazards without defining the term.
Practitioner note: Hazard is the potential to cause harm. Risk is the likelihood of that harm occurring in the circumstances of use. The distinction matters — eliminating the hazard removes the risk entirely; controlling the risk does not.