A __________ is any condition or action that can cause an organizational loss.

• A. Hazard
• B. Risk
• C. Loss
• D. Incident

Answer: (A)

A hazard is any condition or action that could cause organizational loss. It focuses on what could go wrong, not on how likely it is to happen or the harm that would result. In safety management, identifying hazards is the first step so they can be controlled before incidents occur. Risk is the combination of likelihood and severity of harm, not just the potential condition. A loss is the actual harm or damage that occurs, and an incident is the event that causes harm. So the term that fits a condition or action that could lead to loss is hazard.