What is a hazard?

• A. A potential source of danger
• B. A type of protective equipment
• C. A measure of exposure
• D. The certainty of harm

Answer: (A)

Hazard means something that has the potential to cause harm. It’s not a guarantee that harm will happen, but it’s the possibility you have to be aware of if someone is exposed or something goes wrong. For example, a spilled chemical on the bench is a hazard because it could injure someone or cause damage. Protective equipment is a control used to reduce the risk from hazards, not the hazard itself. A measure of exposure talks about how much contact someone has with something dangerous, which relates to risk more than to what the hazard is. The certainty of harm reflects risk, which combines the presence of a hazard with exposure and controls. So the definition that matches a hazard best is a potential source of danger.