M o
n it
o r an
d r e
v ie
w Establish the context
Identify risks Analyse risks
Evaluate risks Treat risks
C o
m m
u ni
ca te a
n d
c o
ns ul
t
Figure 8: Risk management pathway Standards Australia, 1999
SUMMARY: There is general agreement about the approach to risk management, which should include risk assessment, risk management and risk communication.
3.3.2.3 Areas where these models do not agree
Although there is general agreement in most areas of risk management, in the above-mentioned documents a number of different approaches to risk assessment are described:
• In the AustralianNew Zealand Standard for Risk Management Standards Australia, 1999, risk assessment is considered to encompass risk identification identifying the events that may affect
the objectives of an organisation, risk analysis critical evaluation of the likelihood and consequence – the risk – of each of these events and risk evaluation developing a prioritised list
of risks for further action.
• In documentation from the European Commission European Commission, 2000, the key components of risk assessment are considered to include hazard identification identifying the
hazards – such as an infectious or toxic agent – capable of causing an adverse event, hazard characterisation quantifying the effects of each hazard, exposure assessment determining the
likely level and duration of exposure to the hazard, and risk characterisation estimating likelihood and severity of adverse effects, based on estimated exposure and hazard
characterisation.
• In documentation from the OIE OIE, 2003, disease risks associated with importation of animals andor by-products are conducted after considering hazard identification identifying disease
agents that may be imported, release assessment the likelihood of a hazard being introduced into a country, exposure assessment the likelihood of susceptible animals being exposed to the
hazard if it were introduced, and consequence assessment the potential impacts of a hazard if it were established in a country.
It is important to note that the initial document from Standards Australia provides a generic approach to risk assessment, being purposefully independent of any industry or economic sector. In
contrast, the latter two documents are highly specific, presenting methodologies of risk assessment
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for defined situations. Nonetheless, there is general acceptance in all documents regarding the fundamental issues of risk assessment – namely, the identification, analysis and evaluation of
hazards or events on the basis of risk. In the latter documents, there has been considerable adaptation of these generic themes according to the purpose of the risk assessment. For example
and as acknowledged by the relevant committee, the approach in the EC document is specifically designed to assess risk to human or animal health from defined ‘risk sources’ such as chemicals,
micro-organisms and physical factors. Likewise, import risk analysis described in the OIE document is undertaken specifically to minimise disease risks associated with international trade.
These approaches each relate to the risk assessment of a specific hazard or hazards, such as a chemical, infectious agent or physical factor.
SUMMARY: The reviewed risk management models each take a relatively generic approach to risk management and risk communication. Although the approach to risk assessment is
generic within the AustralianNew Zealand Standard, it has been significantly adapted in the latter models, reflecting the specialised nature of risk sources in different contexts.
3.3.3 Risk management in other industries
