This is a very interesting topic that we are also struggling with as we are developing a risk management course for researchers with the Safety Training Consortium. We also settled on using the 3 by 3 grid rating likelihood versus severity of outcome of an incident and came to the conclusion that risk rating is very subjective. The problem is the unpredictability of incidents in research environments where experiments are constantly varied and their contexts may also change.

 

When thinking of risks in a research lab one should probably take a systems approach beginning with providing a safe research environment for the type of research to be conducted in a given space. At the end, there are the researchers who are conducting their experiments in the context of that environment plus other factors that may affect their experiments or their performance on a particular day.  Here, I think the risk assessment training comes in that empowers researchers to become rational judges of their experiment and the context where it is performed.  At this point, I would still stick to a simple risk rating grid as a visual guide to raise awareness to the fact that if a risk -after assessing what is involved - is medium to high for example, necessary minimization strategies need to be in place. I view the risk rating grid as a guide. Sandia offers a comprehensive risk assessment with percentages and some math that lends itself to a more standardized research setting.

 

My best,

Imke

UC Center for Laboratory Safety

 

 

While stumbling around the web with regard to thinking about the risk matrix, I came upon an article that questioned its value:

 

https://medium.com/**At_Symbol_Here**JornMineur/why-the-risk-matrix-must-die-620a7287e7c

 

The essence of the argument, I think, is that estimates of probability are very unreliable.   I'd appreciate the wisdom of the list regarding this essay and its conclusion.

 

Dave

 

David C. Finster
Professor Emeritus, Department of Chemistry
Wittenberg University

 

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