Two similar terms with very different meanings. And in terms of safety performance, the gap between these two terms, although they are incorrectly used to speak of hazards in the same context, is light-years apart. A “recognized hazard” is…
when a hazard is recognized BEFORE it is involved in an incident. Once an incident occurs, the hazard becomes a “realized hazard”.
The key to world-class safety is to have processes in place where the workforce is continually hunting down and RECOGNIZING hazards BEFORE the accident turns them into a REALIZED hazard(s).
Like Homer, the great ancient Greek author and epic poet said in 800 B.C.
Once harm has been done, even a fool understands it!
Don’t be a safety fool
Aggressively seek out hazards and mitigate them BEFORE they are REALIZED, as then it is too late. Make these “hazard hunting” expeditions a LEADING INDICATOR in our safety process. And once the hazard is RECOGNIZED, ensure that the means to mitigate the hazards is done using SOUND SCIENTIFIC measures that follow the Hierarchy of Controls.
