Introduction to Fire Safety Management

5.5.4 Evaluating residual risk
The fourth stage in the risk assessment process is to 
evaluate the level of residual risk, i.e. taking into account 
any current control measures (workplace precautions 
and risk control systems) that are already in place. Some 
risks may also be adequately controlled leaving only a 
low residual risk; these will require no further action 
other than a review of the validity of the assessment on 
a periodic basis (see below).
Hazard
presents a 
risk
which causes an 
accident/incident
which in turn causes 
injury, ill health, damage, or loss
.
As an example, oil can be considered as 
a hazard. When it is in the container it has 
potential but no likelihood of achieving its 
potential, therefore there is no risk. When it is 
spilt on a table there is a small possibility of 
causing minor harm (ill health perhaps), there-
fore the risk exists but is low. When the oil is 
spilt on the fl oor there is a better chance of it 
causing greater harm (slip), so the risk could 
be termed medium. When the oil is spilt on a 
heater unit or close to other potential ignition 
sources there is an even greater chance of 
it causing serious harm or even death (start-
ing a fi re), so the risk could be termed high or 
very high. It can be seen then that a hazard is 
an inherent quality of something, whereas risk 
is dependent entirely upon the circumstances 
surrounding the hazard.
An example is a contractor who has been 
engaged to install IT cabling within an exist-
ing workplace. The work location will include 
the main access corridor to the main stair-
case within the building. Those that could be 
put at risk from the operation would be the 
contractor, the occupier of the premises, vis-
itors to the premises, other occupiers (if the 
building is occupied by more than one) and 
other contractors.
Risks could include the more obvious fall-
ing from height, falling materials, slips and 
trips. In addition the less obvious, but nev-
ertheless safety critical, is the potential 
obstruction of escape routes and breaches of 
fi re compartment walls. Many people could 
be affected during the works and potentially 
many more over the life of the building if fi re 
compartmentation is breached by running 
cables or trunking through fi re breaks.

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