Posted By Christopher Hi Can anyone provide me with a definition of risk management and one for health and safety!! Thank you.

Posted By DRB Mark's not quite correct on that one. Show me a workplace that's "free from risks"! Risk management is about achieving acceptable levels of risks in the workplace

Posted By Phillip Health and Safety is a means of banning a practice Risk Management is a means of allowing a practice

Posted By BOD Risk management is a central part of any organisation's strategic management. It is the process whereby organisations methodically address the risks attaching to their activities with the goal of achieving sustained benefit within each activity and across the portfolio of all activities. The focus of risk management is the identification and treatment of these risks. Its objective is to add maximum sustainable value to all the activities of the organisation. Health and safety risk is one area of business risk (which include, financial, operations, strategic)covering the well being of staff, contractors, customers and other third parties. In the safety field, it is generally recongised that consequences are only negative and therefore the management of safety risk is focused on prevention and mitigation of harm. Hope this helps.

Posted By Chris Jerman What seems to be being confused here is the use of the word risk. It is not a synonym for hazard or anything similar. Risk is a concept based on the combination of 2 independent variables that is used to allocate priority relative to a set standard or scale; usually high, med and low. Therefore, risk management is the 'shuffling' or management of those priorities relative to each other based upon their position on the playing board (matrix). Risk management is NOT the action that we take - it is the order in which we take it. You don't manage risks you manage RISK. So, safety is a doctrine or subject just as is environment or quality. As you cannot achieve everything at once, decisions must be made as to the allocation of resources such as time, money and effort. Using a common scale such as high, med and low using comparable descriptors allows cross functional decision making and up/down reporting. Deciding precisely what to do (with your resources) is management - safety management, quality management whatever, but NOT risk management. Health and safety - making the place healthier and safer for people RM - the prioritised allocation of resources (set against the objectives and background of your particular business) necessary to achieve reasonable assurances that aims are being met Well, I reckon so anyway. CJ

Posted By Andy Shaw I haven't been surprised to see the comments regarding a lack of understanding between risk mgmt and H&S as it is a real problem for most (but not all) H&S people. The key thing is to first understand the term 'risk' which is so widely mis- used professionally and publically. For example if we think of risk simply in its operational terms of the likelihood of an event coupled with the impact of such an event regardless of whether or not it occurs then we're on a reasonable track. The meteorologist on the radio this morning reported a 'risk of rain'. He, like most people including H&S personnel, confuses risk and likelihood or probability. Risk management has been grasped by the H&S brigade to bring some credibility to a dying profession. Risk management is about 'achieving the most efficient combination of controls necessary to provide reasonable assurance that business objectives can be achieved reliably'. That might include safety and it might not. It might be argued that effective financial risk management is the most vital discipline for any organisation! There is a pervasive view that safety is the number one priority of any business. We all know, deep down,that's not true. The number one priority for any business is to make a profit. Ideally making that profit safely! Further, it might be argued that risk management is increasingly being recognised as a benefit to effective and efficient business whereas H&S is now a second class discipline offering little in the way of business value in the way that most currently practice it.

Posted By Dave Wilson Maybe we should embrace the fact that there are many challenges to all business and safety is just one it is how you manage those identified 'risks' whether they are financial or safey or anything else is the management bit.