Risk Matrix in Hazard Identification: Origin, Evolution, and Use in Industry

Risk Matrix in Hazard Identification: Origin, Evolution, and Use in Industry

Every industry today—from oil & gas to construction—uses a risk assessment matrix as part of Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA). But pause for a moment: Are you aware of where this widely used tool actually originated, how it has evolved, and what it truly covers?

Let’s take a journey into the story behind the matrix that every safety professional uses, but few know its history.

📖 Where It All Began

The idea of combining severity of harm with the likelihood of occurrence first took shape in the U.S. Military Standard MIL-STD-882 (1969). This standard, created for system safety programs, introduced the concept of categorizing hazards into levels of severity (from negligible to catastrophic) and probability (from improbable to frequent).

Soon, this structured approach spread into engineering, aerospace, nuclear, and later into occupational health and safety. By the 1990s, industries worldwide were using a variation of this risk matrix.

📈 Evolution Over Time

• 1970s–1980s – Military, aerospace, and nuclear sectors used it heavily.

• 1990s – Adopted in occupational health & safety (linked with OHSAS 18001).

• 2000s – Standardized under ISO 31000 (2009) and risk management frameworks.

• 2010s – Semi-quantitative scoring, ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable) concepts, and industry customization came in.

• Present Day – Used in HIRA, HAZOP, QRA, and workplace safety across industries worldwide.

🟢 What Does the Risk Matrix Cover?

When we talk about “ranking” risks, the matrix is designed to evaluate hazards using:

1. Severity of Consequence – How bad can the impact be?

   • Negligible, Minor, Major, Critical, Catastrophic

2. Likelihood of Occurrence – How often could it happen?

   • Rare, Unlikely, Possible, Likely, Almost Certain

3. Exposure (sometimes added in HIRA) – How many people or assets are at risk?

4. Detectability (in some advanced versions) – How easily can the hazard be identified before it escalates?

These inputs are combined into a simple grid—low, medium, high, or extreme risk—which guides decision-making, control measures, and prioritization.

🌍 Learning from Past Incidents

Risk assessment becomes more powerful when linked to real-life data. But where do we find such data?

• ILO (International Labour Organization) – maintains global accident and occupational injury statistics.

• NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) – publishes fire and explosion incident data.

• DGMS (Directorate General of Mines Safety – India) and OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration – USA) – provide industry-specific reports.

• Industrial accident databases such as EM-DAT (Emergency Events Database) and MAHB (Major Accident Hazard Bureau, EU) – track worldwide industrial accidents.

By referring to these sources, organizations can check whether similar incidents have happened elsewhere in the world and use that knowledge in their own HIRA process.

⚠️ The Limitations and Improvements

While widely used, risk matrices also face criticism:

• They may oversimplify risks.

• Rankings can vary depending on who is assessing.

• They sometimes ignore complex interdependencies.

That’s why many industries now complement them with advanced tools like Bow-Tie Analysis, Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA), and Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA).

✅ Final Thoughts

The risk matrix is not just a colored chart—it is a legacy of decades of safety engineering, starting from military applications in 1969 and growing into a universal workplace safety tool. It reminds us that hazards must not just be identified, but measured, ranked, and compared with lessons learned worldwide.

So the next time you see a green, yellow, and red box in a HIRA meeting, remember: it carries half a century of safety evolution—and it still evolves with every incident we learn from.

👉 For design, training, or support in applying risk assessment methods in your workplace, connect with us at agnirakshaniti@gmail.com.