Selecting Appropriate Words for Naming the Rows and Columns of Risk Assessment Matrices

Details

• Personal Author:
  Hansen H ; Jensen RC
• Description:
  The risk management systems used in occupational safety and health typically assess the risk of identified hazards using a tabular format commonly called a risk assessment matrix. Typically, columns are named with words indicating severity, and rows are named with words indicating likelihood or probability. Some risk assessment matrices use words reflecting the extent of exposure to a hazard. This project was undertaken with the aim of helping the designers of risk assessment matrices select appropriate names for the rows and columns. A survey of undergraduate students studying engineering or occupational safety and health obtained ratings of 16 English language words and phrases for each of the three factors. Analyses of 84 completed surveys included comparing average ratings on a 100-point scale. Using the averages, appropriately spaced sets of words and phrases were identified for naming the row and column categories. Based on results, the authors recommend word sets of three, four, and five for severity; three, four, five, and six for likelihood; and two and three for extent of exposure. The study methodology may be useful for future research, and the resulting word sets and numerical ratings may be helpful when creating a new, or reassessing an established, risk assessment matrix. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Communication Hazardous Substances Occupational Health Risk Assessment Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Risk Assessment Communication Research Hazard Communication Occupational Hazards Occupational Safety And Health Risk Assessment Risk Management Risk Matrix Safety
• ISSN:
  1660-4601
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Montana ; OSHA Region 8
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  17
• Issue:
  15
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20061521
• Citation:
  Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020 Aug; 17(15):5521
• Contact Point Address:
  Roger C. Jensen, Safety, Health and Industrial Hygiene Department, Montana Technological University, Butte, MT 59701, USA
• Email:
  rjensen@mtech.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2020
• Performing Organization:
  Montana Technological University
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• End Date:
  20290630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:5fab284db6e52c336ee272ecd15967b3476f13987bf82d9c79d605bf824f5f3e04e78ea6705c990a66ce8e3db79f29dc875a6ce42ea4e9945a9c39e6dd541836
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/225035/cdc_225035_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 916.62 KB ]