Which statement best distinguishes hazard from risk?

• A. Hazard is a source of potential harm; risk is the likelihood and severity of harm resulting from exposure.
• B. Hazard is the actual harm that occurs, while risk measures probability of recovery.
• C. Hazard refers to the probability of harm, and risk refers to the severity of harm.
• D. Hazard and risk are interchangeable terms describing danger.

Answer: (B)

The key idea is distinguishing a hazard from risk: a hazard is a source of potential harm, while risk is about what might happen if someone is exposed to that hazard—specifically the likelihood that harm will occur and how severe it could be.

So the correct way to frame it is that a hazard represents the potential danger in something, and risk combines the chance of exposure with the severity of the possible harm. The statement that hazard is the actual harm that occurs mixes up the source of danger with the harm itself, which isn’t accurate. Likewise, defining risk as the probability of recovery misstates risk; recovery isn’t the focus—it's the chance of harm happening and the severity if it does. For example, leaking gas is a hazard, while the risk involves how likely someone is to be exposed and how serious the injury could be if exposure occurs.