The American Society of Safety Engineers, Dictionary of terms used in the Safety Profession,defines safety as “A general term denoting an acceptable level of risk of, relative freedom from, and a low probability of harm.”
A hazard is defined as “a potential condition or set of conditions, either internal and/or external to a system, product, facility or operation which, when activated by a stimulus, transforms the hazardinto a real condition, or series of events, culminating in a loss — an accident.”
A simpler and more fundamental definition of a hazard is a potential to do harm. In addition,hazards are classified in various levels according to:
- the severity of the accident with which the hazard would result; and
- the probability or estimated certainty with which the hazard will lead to an accident.
The most dangerous type of hazard is one which, if an accident occurred, would cause death or severe injury to a person or seriously damage a system.
Project Illustrations Include:
- Conducted OSHA Standards surveys/inspections at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) field installations
- Researched and developed injury and illness prevention programs and safety programs for companies in construction, transportation, warehousing, and the oil exploration and production industries