What is a Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) process in OH practice?

• A. A process to certify workers' competencies in firefighting.
• B. A financial audit of safety program costs.
• C. A systematic process to identify hazards, assess exposure and risk, and implement controls with monitoring.
• D. A procedure to replace all controls with administrative measures.

Answer: (C)

A Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment is a systematic approach used in occupational hygiene to identify workplace hazards, evaluate how workers might be exposed, determine the level of risk, and then implement controls with ongoing monitoring. It covers recognizing hazards across chemical, physical, biological, ergonomic, and psychosocial domains, assessing exposure factors such as concentration, duration, route of exposure, and frequency, and using a risk-based method to prioritize actions. Controls are chosen using the hierarchy of controls—elimination or substitution, engineering controls, administrative measures, and PPE—with training and procedures to support effectiveness. Monitoring verifies that exposure reductions are achieved and sustained, and the assessment is updated as processes, equipment, or populations change. This is a proactive process aimed at reducing risk, not a certification of firefighting competencies, a financial audit, or a method to replace controls with administrative measures only.