Hazard and risk are synonymous.

• A. Sometimes they are
• B. True
• C. They are related but not identical
• D. False

Answer: (D)

The main idea is distinguishing hazard from risk: hazard is the potential to cause harm, while risk describes the chance that harm will actually occur under specific exposure conditions and controls. A hazard is an inherent property or situation that could cause harm (for example, a toxic chemical, high noise, or a hot surface). Risk, on the other hand, depends on whether people are exposed to that hazard and how severe the possible harm could be, considering how often, for how long, and with what protective measures.

That difference matters because a substance or situation can have a hazard, but the risk can be low if there is little or no exposure or if effective controls are in place. Conversely, even a relatively small hazard can pose a high risk if exposure is frequent or poorly controlled. This is why risk assessments evaluate both the hazard and the likelihood and severity of outcomes given real-world exposure.

So, they are related concepts, but they are not identical. Hazard identifies what could cause harm; risk accounts for the likelihood and consequence of that harm under actual usage or exposure scenarios.