Risk assessments for workplace hazards must be identified and evaluated for risk by what three things?

• A. Consequence, probability, exposure
• B. Severity, duration, likelihood
• C. Frequency, proximity, duration
• D. Risk level, control effectiveness, probability

Answer: (A)

In risk assessments, you quantify risk by looking at what could happen (consequence), how likely it is to happen (probability), and how much exposure workers have to the hazard (exposure). Consequence represents the potential harm’s severity if the event occurs. Probability reflects the chance that the event will occur. Exposure captures how much contact with the hazard there is—including how long, how often, and how close the worker is to the hazard. Together, these three factors give a practical picture of risk in real work scenarios.

The other options mix elements that don’t fully form the risk picture. Severity paired with duration or likelihood alone omits how exposure affects risk. Frequency and proximity with duration touch exposure, but don’t centrally capture the overall exposure context. Including control effectiveness shifts focus from identifying risk to evaluating how well controls mitigate it, which isn’t the primary trio for identifying risk.