Risk vs. Hazard

Main Difference

The main difference between Risk and Hazard is that Risk is the chance that somebody would get harmed by a Hazard, whereas Hazard is an agent that can cause harm.

Risk vs. Hazard — Is There a Difference?
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Difference Between Risk and Hazard

Risk vs. Hazard

Risk is the chance of damage or harm to someone; on the contrary, the hazard is the agent of causing harm.

Risk vs. Hazard

Risks can prevent, whereas hazards cannot be prevented or minimized.

Risk vs. Hazard

Risks occur as a result of hazards; on the other hand, hazards may be human-made or natural.

Risk vs. Hazard

Risks can see beforehand, whereas anything harmless may become a hazard at any time.

Risk vs. Hazard

The degree of risk varies from person to person, but in the case of hazard, it is not so.

Risk vs. Hazard

A risk caused due to the presence of negligence; conversely, the hazard caused due to negligence.

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Risk vs. Hazard

Risk is of two types, i.e., systematic and unsystematic; on the contrary, the hazard is of three major types, i.e., biological, physical, and chemical.

Risk vs. Hazard

Examples of risk are acid burns, electric shocks, etc., whereas examples of hazards include electricity wires, chemical reactions, etc.

Risknoun

(countable) A possible adverse event or outcome

Hazardnoun

(historical) A game of chance played with dice, usually for monetary stakes; popular mainly from 14th c. to 19th c.

Risknoun

The probability of a negative outcome to a decision or event.

There is risk of being brutalized, arrested, imprisoned and tortured, all because I want you to know the truth about this matter.

Hazardnoun

Chance.

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Risknoun

The magnitude of possible loss consequent to a decision or event.

Hazardnoun

The chance of suffering harm; danger, peril, risk of loss.

He encountered the enemy at the hazard of his reputation and life.

Risknoun

The potential (conventionally negative) effect of an event, determined by combining the likelihood of the event occurring with the effect should it occur.

Hazardnoun

An obstacle or other feature which causes risk or danger; originally in sports, and now applied more generally.

The video game involves guiding a character on a skateboard past all kinds of hazards.

Risknoun

An entity insured by an insurer or the specific uncertain events that the insurer underwrites.

Hazardnoun

(in driving a vehicle) An obstacle or other feature that presents a risk or danger that justifies the driver in taking action to avoid it.

Riskverb

(transitive) To incur risk of (something).

Hazardnoun

(golf) A sand or water obstacle on a golf course.

Riskverb

(transitive) To incur risk of harming or jeopardizing.

Hazardnoun

(billiards) The act of potting a ball, whether the object ball (winning hazard) or the player's ball (losing hazard).

Riskverb

(transitive) To incur risk as a result of (doing something).

Hazardnoun

(obsolete) Anything that is hazarded or risked, such as a stake in gambling.

Risknoun

a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune;

drinking alcohol is a health hazard

Hazardnoun

(tennis) The side of the court into which the ball is served.

Risknoun

a venture undertaken without regard to possible loss or injury;

he saw the rewards but not the risks of crimethere was a danger he would do the wrong thing

Hazardnoun

(programming) A problem with the instruction pipeline in CPU microarchitectures when the next instruction cannot execute in the following clock cycle, potentially leading to incorrect results.

Risknoun

the probability of becoming infected given that exposure to an infectious agent has occurred

Hazardverb

To expose to chance; to take a risk.

Risknoun

the probability of being exposed to an infectious agent

Hazardverb

To risk (something); to venture, to incur, or bring on.

I'll hazard a guess.

Riskverb

expose to a chance of loss or damage;

We risked losing a lot of money in this ventureWhy risk your life?

Hazardnoun

a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune;

drinking alcohol is a health hazard

Riskverb

take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome;

When you buy these stocks you are gambling

Hazardnoun

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another;

bad luck caused his downfallwe ran into each other by pure chance

Hazardnoun

an obstacle on a golf course

Hazardverb

put forward, of a guess, in spite of possible refutation;

I am guessing that the price of real estate will rise againI cannot pretend to say that you are wrong

Hazardverb

put at risk;

I will stake my good reputation for this

Hazardverb

take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome;

When you buy these stocks you are gambling

Comparison Chart

RiskHazard
Risk is the chance that someone might get harmed from a hazardA Hazard is something that causes harm or danger
Examples
Acid burn, electric shock, etcChemical/acid, electricity wires
Safety Measures
Minimized by some signals or signboardsIt cannot minimize
Identification
Can be identified beforehandDoes not even come in the notice, i.e., a bucket of water may become hazard afterward
Types
Two types, i.e., systematic and unsystematicThree major types, i.e., physical, chemical, and biological hazards
Cause
Presence of hazardNegligence

Risk vs. Hazard

Risk is the standard of an extent or degree (high or low) to which a hazard can cause danger; on the other hand, the hazard is something that can cause any harm. For example, if an electric wire falls in the water, it is now a risk that someone might get an electric shock, but an uninsulated electrical wire is a hazard.

Risk can minimize; on the contrary, the hazard cannot. For example, if there is some construction going on a roadside, a signboard could be placed showing people that the road is temporarily unavailable, It is minimizing the ‘risk’ that someone might meet an accident there. But hazards cannot be replaced. Machinery, drugged in the road, and wet charcoal all are hazards. In other words, we can say that danger likely to be imposed on people by that particular object is the ‘risk.’ And an object itself is a ‘hazard.’

Risk is the possibility that something dangerous might occur; on the contrary, a hazard is something that threatens our environment. The risk created due to the presence of a hazard; on the other hand, a hazard caused by negligence.

What is Risk?

Risk is defined as an uncontrollable loss of something that is of great importance. It may be health, life, finance, or social status. Risk can be called as unwanted interaction with vagueness. Perception of risk differs with every person.

Some people count even minor situations as big risks, while others take bigger risks in their lives. In other words, it can be said that the classification of risks (major or minor) depends on one’s mental state. Sometimes a person might create a fuss about every little thing, but sometimes he might ignore even much bigger issues. It is called risk perception.

There are many forms of risk. For example, in the food industry, the risk is that some chemicals are dangerous if they get spilled or if they reacted improperly. In radioactivity centers where high energy reactions are being carried out, highly penetrating rays emitted. As a result, the people working at such places and the people living nearby may develop harmful diseases such as skin ailments and cancer.

Risk is also called an uncertain event or set of events that have a negative effect on the achievement of objectives or plans. So, minimization of risks should be the priority in every field, no matter if it is minimum or maximum.

What is a Hazard?

A hazard is defined as an agent that causes harm to human life, environment, or buildings. Any event that occurs as a result of a hazard is called an incident. Mostly hazards are classified into two ways. They occur as a result of potential energy. This stored energy exists in the form of thermal, chemical, or mechanical energy. If this stored energy is allowed to flow, it becomes a risk and causes great harm. The other type does not involve potential energy; rather, a hazardous situation is present. It includes the presence of less space, wrong positions, low hanging objects, and irregular motions, etc.

Another kind of very common hazard includes natural hazards; they originate in the biosphere, lithosphere, or the atmosphere. They prove to be a potential threat to human life. Examples are earthquakes, land sliding, storms, hurricanes, and tsunamis.

In a dormant or static state, a hazard is merely a threat. It does not cause any harm, but once activated, a hazard cause irreversible destruction and is now called a disaster. A hazard does not even come in the notice. For example, a bucket full of water is a hazard, as it may prove to be accidental.

Hazards in Workplaces

Workplace hazards include situations which result in the release of uncontrolled energy. For example, an object falling from a height due to gravitational or potential energy, a chemical reaction that might go wrong, the release of compressed gas or steam at high pressure and temperature, physical contact with electrodes of a battery or capacitor having high voltage.

Conclusion

So Risk and Hazard both are two different terms. Risks can be minimized by various posters, symbols, and signboards beforehand, whereas Hazards remain the same no matter even the risks reduced.