The Likelihood of an Unlikely Incident

Accurate identification of hazards, assessment of risk and evaluation of risk controls are essential to moving beyond simple compliance with electrical safety regulations and standards. If hazard identification and risk assessment are not done properly, or at all, the proper and most effective risk controls will often not be applied. This is especially true for electrical incidents as the very low frequency of electrical injuries, compared to all occupational injuries, can blind organizations and individuals to the potential for serious or fatal electrical injuries. Risk can be underestimated and the effectiveness of controls overestimated. Risk determination is a function of incident consequences and the likelihood of ______. "An incident" may not be the right words to fill in the blank. This paper reviews risk assessment literature to find the key word to go into the blank which will lay the foundation for the most effective selection of risk controls to prevent serious injury and fatality.