CSP EXAM ESSENTIAL PRACTICE, 2020 Farcas, Hammond & Cena

Safety Management

1. What is safety? Safety is the state of being "safe" or relatively free from
harm or other non-desirable outcomes. Safety means the control of
recognized hazards in order to minimize risk. Management is ultimately
responsible for safety. The safety professional’s duty is to advise
management.

Example: A wet floor is a slip and fall hazard (because we cannot say if the
unaware slip victim will die, end up with a broken bone or just be bruised).
By placing “wet floor warning” signs the risk of falling is reduced or by
blocking access to the wet area the risk is lowered even more and the area
becomes safe.

2. What is risk? Risk is the possibility of loss, injury or other undesirable

outcomes with respect to humans’ values like health, well-being, wealth,
property or the environment. Probability is the likelihood that the risk will
occur. “Zero Risk” does not exist!

Note: The probability of a fatality or getting an occupational disease is

measurable for a population but is not measurable for an individual worker
although it may be predictable.

3. What are the different types of risk? There are 4 types:

A. Risk-avoidance is when the business decides not to produce high-risk

products or enter uncertain markets.

B. Risk-retention is when the business chooses to self-insure (does not

take out any third-party insurance).

C. Risk-transfer is when the company decides to buy insurance.

D. Risk-reduction and control is the primary goal of the safety professional

and Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) department.