A board member asks for the difference between eliminating a wet floor and "managing risk." Which explanation is correct?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
The puddle is the hazard — the thing that can cause harm. Risk is the combo of how likely someone slips and how badly they get hurt against what you care about. Mopping treats that risk by removing the hazard source.
Full Explanation
In applied terms, the wet floor is a hazard (source of potential harm). The risk is the assessed combination of the likelihood of a slip and the severity of injury relative to objectives. Removing or controlling the wet floor is a treatment that reduces that risk; it is not unrelated janitorial trivia, nor something that waits until after an injury. Distinguishing hazard from risk clarifies why elimination of the source is risk management in action.