Explain the difference between a hazard and a risk with an Army training example.

• A. A hazard is the probability of harm; risk is the harm itself.
• B. A hazard is a consequence; risk is the likelihood of incident.
• C. Risk and hazard are identical concepts.
• D. Hazard and risk are interchangeable terms.

Answer: (B)

In safety terms, a hazard is the potential harm that could result from a situation or condition, and risk is the chance that that harm will actually occur during the training, considering exposure and controls. For example, on a training range a fuel spill is a hazard because it could lead to a fire or exposure—the harm that could follow. The risk is the likelihood of that fire or exposure happening during the drill, given factors like ignition sources, proximity to people, and the precautions in place. This framing—hazard as the possible consequence and risk as the probability of that consequence occurring—helps you focus both on what could go wrong and how likely it is to happen, so you can apply safeguards to reduce that likelihood.