Difference between revisions of "Risk Analysis"
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#Hazard Identification.<br> A [[Hazard]] can be defined as something that is potentially harmful- to humans, animals, plants or the environment. This could be the presence of a pathogenic organism in an item of food, faulty brakes in a car or an uncovered manhole. Hazard identification is thus the process of identyfying all possible hazards in a given situation. In reality it may not be possible to identify every hazard in existance for a given situation. However, in order to estimate the risk associated with a given hazard the hazard has to be identified in the first place.<br><br> | #Hazard Identification.<br> A [[Hazard]] can be defined as something that is potentially harmful- to humans, animals, plants or the environment. This could be the presence of a pathogenic organism in an item of food, faulty brakes in a car or an uncovered manhole. Hazard identification is thus the process of identyfying all possible hazards in a given situation. In reality it may not be possible to identify every hazard in existance for a given situation. However, in order to estimate the risk associated with a given hazard the hazard has to be identified in the first place.<br><br> | ||
| − | #Risk Assesment.<br> | + | #Risk Assesment.<br>This refers to the evaluation of the risk(s) associated with a hazard. This often requires risk assessors skilled in a number of diiferent fields. Risk can be defined in this setting as the probability of an undesirable outcome occurring as a consequence of the hazard. This implies that there is more than one possible outcome that could occur and at least one of them is undesiable. In risk analysis the probable consequences of the undesirable outcome occurring are also estimated. For example, if the presence of a pathogenic organism in an item of food is the hazard, then the risk assessment would try to estimate the probability of that organism in the food item causing a health problem and if it did cause a health problem what would be the magnitude of the health problem. |
Revision as of 14:56, 19 September 2008
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This article is still under construction. |
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Introduction
Risk analysis is a formal & structured way of looking at risks and hazards. In veterinary public health it is mainly used by bodies that play a role in imposing regulations designed to protect animals or human health(e.g. governments or government bodies). If an issue is looked at using risk analysis, it is understood that it will be assessed in a fairly standardised way.
Risk analysis has been used for looking at nuclear reactors, chemical emissions, space exploration & in many other areas. However, its use in veterinary public health has only occurred in the last 10 years or so. Today it is a widely used and accepted way of looking at food safety issues & zoonoses.
Components & Terminology
Due to being used in a variaty of disciplines the exact chain of events that make up risk analysis can take more than one format.
In the most widely used format in Veterinary Public Health Risk Analysis consists of:
- Hazard Identification.
- Risk Assessment.
- Risk Management.
- Risk Communication.
- Hazard Identification.
A Hazard can be defined as something that is potentially harmful- to humans, animals, plants or the environment. This could be the presence of a pathogenic organism in an item of food, faulty brakes in a car or an uncovered manhole. Hazard identification is thus the process of identyfying all possible hazards in a given situation. In reality it may not be possible to identify every hazard in existance for a given situation. However, in order to estimate the risk associated with a given hazard the hazard has to be identified in the first place. - Risk Assesment.
This refers to the evaluation of the risk(s) associated with a hazard. This often requires risk assessors skilled in a number of diiferent fields. Risk can be defined in this setting as the probability of an undesirable outcome occurring as a consequence of the hazard. This implies that there is more than one possible outcome that could occur and at least one of them is undesiable. In risk analysis the probable consequences of the undesirable outcome occurring are also estimated. For example, if the presence of a pathogenic organism in an item of food is the hazard, then the risk assessment would try to estimate the probability of that organism in the food item causing a health problem and if it did cause a health problem what would be the magnitude of the health problem.