Which step begins the risk management process?

Which step begins the risk management process?

• A. Assess the risks
• B. Control the risks
• C. Identify hazards
• D. Record your findings

Answer: (C)

Identifying hazards is the starting point of risk management. You have to first spot all potential sources of harm in the task, tools, environment, and procedure before you can evaluate how likely they are to cause injury and how severe the consequences would be. For a fitter, this means checking for moving machinery parts, hot surfaces, sharp edges, awkward or unstable positions, electrical risks, fumes, and slip or fall hazards. Once hazards are identified, you move on to assessing the risk (likelihood and severity), then implementing controls to reduce that risk, and finally recording and reviewing what you did. Without identifying hazards first, there’s nothing concrete to assess or control, so this step truly begins the process.

Identifying hazards is the starting point of risk management. You have to first spot all potential sources of harm in the task, tools, environment, and procedure before you can evaluate how likely they are to cause injury and how severe the consequences would be. For a fitter, this means checking for moving machinery parts, hot surfaces, sharp edges, awkward or unstable positions, electrical risks, fumes, and slip or fall hazards. Once hazards are identified, you move on to assessing the risk (likelihood and severity), then implementing controls to reduce that risk, and finally recording and reviewing what you did. Without identifying hazards first, there’s nothing concrete to assess or control, so this step truly begins the process.