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Principle 1.2: Conduct a hazard analysis

Conduct a hazard analysis

What does this mean?

An assessment of the hazards identied is carried out to determine which hazards are of such a
nature that their prevention, elimination or reduction to acceptable levels is essential to the
production of safe food.

How is this stage achieved?

1. Write a hazard description for each hazard

For each of the potential hazards you have identied at a process step write a hazard description. This
will detail the source or cause of the hazard.

Consider the following when writing the description of the hazard and try to include the words
presence, introduction, growth or survival if applicable in your description:-

Presence

Is there the potential for the hazard to be present already at this particular process step?

This is usually associated with the acquisition of each ingredient/material e.g. a hazard being present
in a raw material from the supplier.

Introduction
Could the hazard be introduced at this particular process step?

Possibly by people, equipment, environment, other materials.

Growth

Can the hazard increase in number at this particular process step?

This is usually associated with growth of a microorganism.

Survival

Could the hazard potentially survive this process step?

This is usually associated with microorganisms that are not killed, inactivated or destroyed by a
process step that is designed to do this.

There may be more than one description for a particular hazard.

Process Hazard and possible causes

Process Step
Step
Name
Number Descriptor Hazard Due to/from

pathogenic bacteria in raw

Receipt of raw
1 Presence of (e.g. Campylobacter, materials from
materials
Salmonella) supplier

spore forming bacteria due to

Growth of (e.g. Cl. Botulinum, B. temperature
cereus) abuse

in raw
Presence of stones materials from
supplier

due to
10 Chill storage Growth of pathogenic bacteria temperature
abuse

due to dirty
Introduction of
pathogenic bacteria equipment /
(contamination)
environment
 due to
undercooking:
low oil
15 Deep fry Survival of pathogens
temperature or
short exposure
time

2. Provide a severity score for each hazard

Where

1 = If the hazard occurred it could cause minor injury to the consumer

2 = If the hazard occurred the consumer could be hospitalised or suer serious short-term injury.

3 = If the hazard occurred this could result in death of the consumer or long-term illness leading to
death

3. Provide a likelihood score for each hazard

Where

1 = Hazard possibly could occur (unlikely to occur, but might)

2 = Hazard probably could occur (likely to occur at some time but no history of it occurring.

3 = Hazard denitely will occur (at some time it is going to happen or has occurred in the past)

A rating score will automatically be generated from the values you have entered.

3 3 6 9

Severity 2 2 4 6
Score
(1-3) 1 1 2 3

1 2 3

Likelihood Score (1-3)

4. Determine a signicant score

Identify a score above which you are going to consider the hazard to be signicant and take it
forward to the next stage. If you decide that a score of 3 is deemed to be a signicant hazard, all
hazards scoring 3 and above will be taken to the next stage.

Your decision should be soundly based on experience and professional judgement.

For example,

Key

Signicant hazards

Managed by eective
prerequisite programmes

If you specify that a score of 3 is signicant all those hazards scoring 3 or above will be taken through
to the next stage in MyHACCP (Principle 1.3), all those hazards scoring 2 and below will be controlled
and managed through eective prerequisite programmes.

3 3 6 9

Severity 2 2 4 6
Score
(1-3) 1 1 2 3

1 2 3

Likelihood Score (1-3)

If you specify that a score of 4 is signicant all those hazards scoring 4 or above will be taken through
to the next stage in MyHACCP (Principle 1.3), all those hazards scoring 3 and below will be controlled
and managed through eective prerequisite programmes.

3 3 6 9

Severity 2 2 4 6
Score
(1-3) 1 1 2 3

1 2 3

Likelihood Score (1-3)

Source URL: https://myhaccp.food.gov.uk/help/guidance/principle-12-conduct-a-hazard-analysis