What is a risk matrix and how is it used to prioritize safety actions?

• A. A chart that assigns blame for safety incidents.
• B. A financial model for safety program costs.
• C. A grid mapping likelihood of harm against severity; higher risk areas receive priority for mitigation.
• D. A schedule for auditing equipment maintenance.

Answer: (C)

A risk matrix is a decision-making tool that helps you focus safety actions by looking at two factors for each hazard: how likely it is to cause harm and how severe the harm would be. You place each identified hazard on a grid where one axis represents the chance of occurrence and the other represents the potential consequence. The grid’s cells, often color-coded from low to extreme, show the overall risk level. By seeing where hazards land, you prioritize mitigation for the highest-risk areas, choosing controls that reduce either the chance of the event happening or the severity of the outcome, and then reassess to see if scores improve. This approach guides resource allocation and ensures the most significant risks are addressed first. The other choices describe blaming incidents, budgeting, or scheduling maintenance, which are not what a risk matrix is used for.