Introduction to Fire Safety Management

The qualitative description of the severity
Numerical value that 
of a particular event 
may be assigned
First aid injury or illness requiring minimal attention 
1
(plaster, etc.)
Minor injury or illness. Includes those where a
2
person could spend 
up to
3 days away from work
‘3 day’ injury or illness. Those where the person
3
would be off work more than 3 days (as per RIDDOR)
‘Major’ injury or illness (as defi ned per RIDDOR) 
4
Fatality or disabling injury or illness preventing return 
to work 
5
Table 5.3
An example of how numerical values may be assigned
The qualitative description
Numerical value that
of the likelihood of a
may be assigned
particular event occurring
No evidence of occurrence 
1
Foreseeable but remote 
2
Has occurred but only infrequently 
3
Has occurred fairly frequently 
4
Has occurred regularly and will
5
occur again
Table 5.2
Example of numeric values given to subjective, 
qualitative descriptions of risk, of a typical semi-quantitative 
assessment
Note:
When assigning numerical scales to severity the assessor must take into account chronic or long-
term effects of any particular event and/or the effects of the long-term exposure to a perceived ‘low’ 
hazard.

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Introduction to Fire Safety Management
94
Once individual risks have been evaluated using a 
semi-quantitative approach, it is possible to establish 
formalised action plans based upon the risk grading – a 
sample is shown in Table 5.4.
The type of risk analysis or evaluation method used 
will vary from organisation to organisation; whether a 
numerical matrix or high, medium, low matrix is used 
will very much be dependent upon the risk levels of an 
organisation’s activities and workplaces.