HIRA: Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment

Why it matters

HIRA is the foundation of most safety management systems. Done well, it prevents injuries before they happen; done as paperwork, it gives false confidence.

Who it's for: Supervisors, safety officers, engineers and anyone preparing site risk assessments.

Learning objectives — by the end you can:

Explain the difference between a hazard and a risk.
Complete a HIRA row from activity through to verification.
Apply the hierarchy of controls when selecting additional controls.
Recognise that scoring conventions vary by organisation.

Key terms

Hazard: Something with the potential to cause harm (e.g. energised cable, moving forklift).
Risk: The combination of likelihood of harm and its severity.
Severity: How serious the harm could be, from first aid to fatality.
Hierarchy of controls: Elimination → Substitution → Engineering → Administrative → PPE.
Verification: Checking that a control is in place and working, not just written down.

Lesson notes

HIRA worksheet flow

1Activity / task
2Hazard
3Potential consequence
4Existing controls
5Initial Likelihood × Severity → Initial risk
6Additional controls (use the hierarchy of controls)
7Responsible person and due date
8Residual risk
9Verification (who checked, when, evidence)

Hierarchy of controls

Level	Example	Effectiveness
Elimination	Do the task at ground level instead of at height	Most effective
Substitution	Use a water-based paint instead of solvent-based	High
Engineering	Guardrails, machine guards, local exhaust ventilation	Good
Administrative	Permits, procedures, training, signage	Depends on people
PPE	Harness, gloves, respirator	Last line of defence

A note on scoring

Many sites use Likelihood × Severity on 1–5 scales; others use 1–3 or qualitative bands. Use your organisation's approved method. High-risk work always needs competent people and site-specific review.

Video lesson

Video to be added

A verified video from an official or reputable channel has not yet been selected for this topic. The text lesson above covers the full content.

Search YouTube for related videos

Practical story: The roof-light that wasn't on the HIRA

Fictional teaching example

Situation. A maintenance team planned gutter cleaning on a warehouse roof using a generic HIRA.

Known facts

The generic HIRA covered edge protection but not fragile roof-lights.
A supervisor walked the roof before work and spotted unmarked roof-lights.

Decisions

Work was paused and the HIRA updated with a 'fall through fragile surface' hazard.
Controls: covers over roof-lights (engineering), defined walkway, permit and harness as backup.

Outcome. Work completed safely a day later. The site added a fragile-roof register.

Lessons

Generic assessments miss site-specific hazards.
Walk the job.
Prefer engineering controls over relying on PPE.

Worked example

Worked example: one HIRA row

Field	Entry
Activity	Changing lamps in a 4 m high corridor
Hazard	Fall from ladder; electric shock
Consequence	Fracture, head injury; shock/burn
Existing controls	Step ladder, trained electrician
Initial L × S	3 × 4 = 12 (High, illustrative)
Additional controls	Isolate circuit and lock off; use podium step instead of ladder
Responsible / due	Maintenance supervisor / before next job
Residual L × S	1 × 4 = 4 (Low)
Verification	Supervisor checks isolation and podium on site; signs permit

Practice exercise

Complete one HIRA row for 'Manually unloading 20 kg boxes from a van'.

Fill activity, hazard, consequence, existing controls, initial risk, additional controls, owner, residual risk and verification. HIRA worksheet template (CSV)

References

Official guidanceHSE (UK) — Managing risks and risk assessment at work
Official guidanceOSHA — Hierarchy of controls
StandardISO 45001 Occupational health and safety (overview)

Verify current editions and applicability. Standards are copyrighted; consult licensed copies for exact requirements.

Report an issue with this content