What’s Wrong With Risk Assessments?

During Safety 2012, Bruce Lyon, P.E., CSP, ARM, CHMM, and Bruce Hollcroft, CSP, ARM, CHMM, discussed why risk assessments may be inadequate. Here, in Letterman fashion, are their top 10 reasons:

10) Failing to perform a formal risk assessment.
9) Failing to define the purpose and scope of the assessment.
8) Failing to understand an organization's acceptable risk level.
7) Failing to assemble the best possible assessment team.
6) Failing to use the best risk assessment technique.
5) Failing to be objective and unemotional.
4) Failing to identify hazards and see combined whole-system risk.
3) Failing to consider the hierarchy controls or prioritize by risk.
2) Failing to perform risk assessment during the design/redesign stage.
1) Failing to communicate before, during and after the assessment. (Hmm, the actors from Cool Hand Luke would be smilin'.)