Default risk matrix

The default risk matrix maps a (likelihood, severity) pair to a risk level. To change it, see Customise the risk matrix.

The matrix

	Insignificant	Minor	Moderate	Major	Severe
Almost certain	Medium	High	Very high	Very high	Very high
Likely	Medium	Medium	High	Very high	Very high
Possible	Low	Medium	High	High	Very high
Unlikely	Low	Low	Medium	High	High
Rare	Low	Low	Low	Medium	High

Risk levels

Level	Typical interpretation
Low	Acceptable. Manage with routine procedures.
Medium	Tolerable. Specific controls and monitoring.
High	Warrants action. Active management.
Very high	Unacceptable. Stop work or apply emergency controls until reduced.

How likelihood and severity values are defined

Likelihood	Plain meaning
Almost certain	Will probably happen in most circumstances
Likely	Will probably happen at some time
Possible	Could happen at some time
Unlikely	Could happen but not expected
Rare	Could happen only in exceptional circumstances

Severity	Plain meaning
Insignificant	First-aid only, no lost time
Minor	Treatment by a medical professional, days away
Moderate	Hospitalisation, weeks away
Major	Permanent disability or critical injury
Severe	Fatality or multiple critical injuries

See also

• Risk assessment in SteadyOn
• Customise the risk matrix