Risk vs.
Hazard
People make decisions every day that strike a balance between risk and hazard. For example, while automobile
accidents result in the deaths of thousands of people each year, few people would go so far as to say that cars are
hazardous to your health. Rather, most people recognize that there is some level of risk involved in driving a car, and
they take steps to minimize and manage the risk, like wearing seatbelts, driving defensively, and purchasing cars
equipped with air bags. For most people, the benefits of using a car far outweigh the risk of an accident.
At the American Chemistry Council (ACC), the leading trade association representing the business of chemistry, we
believe this example illustrates the important difference between hazard and risk.
When Does a Hazard Become a Risk?
There are hazards all around us. But a hazard does not become a risk until you are exposed to that hazard at a level
that might do harm (i.e., present a risk). All three concepts—risk, exposure, and hazard—are essential to
understanding chemical management policy.
• Risk is the possibility of a harmful event arising from exposure to a chemical or physical agent
under specific conditions.
• Exposure describes both the amount of and the frequency with which a chemical substance
reaches a person, a population of people, or the environment.
• Hazard refers to the inherent properties of a substance that make it capable of causing harm
to human health or the environment.
Just because a substance possesses potentially harmful properties does not mean that it automatically poses a risk. It
is not possible to make that determination without understanding the exposure.
American Chemistry Council members continuously
adapt products and operating procedures to protect the health and
environment of their customers, neighbors, and employees.
When Does a Chemical Pose a Hazard?
When the word “toxic” is used in everyday conversation, it often means something that could readily cause harm. Something
“non-toxic” suggests that it will not cause harm. Many groups are suggesting that we need to get rid of all “toxic” chemicals and
replace them with “non-toxic” ones. However, this is misleading. All chemicals, whether naturally occurring or synthetic, can
produce toxic effects above a certain level of exposure.
Toxicologists are scientists who specialize in the evaluation of toxic substances. For them, the word “toxic” has a more specific
meaning. They understand that every chemical can be toxic and that toxicity depends on the amount of the chemical (i.e., the
dose) to which a person is exposed. For highly toxic chemicals, such as cyanide, toxic effects can be observed after exposure
to a small dose. On the other hand, it would take a far larger dose of a chemical with low toxicity, such as water, to cause a toxic
effect. Yes, even water can be toxic depending on the amount and duration of exposure. A rapid intake of a large amount of water
can result in hyponitremia, a potentially fatal imbalance of the body’s electrolytes. So, when we hear about “toxic” chemicals, we
need to remember that even substances critical for sustaining life can be toxic in high doses.
Regulatory agencies take a conservative approach when setting safe levels of exposure to chemicals. Sophisticated animal
experiments and computer models help agency scientists determine the exposure threshold below which no harmful effects
are observed. The agencies then incorporate a margin of extra safety by dividing that exposure level by ten, a hundred, or
a thousand (or more). If safe levels cannot be defined or observed, the government has the authority to require further risk
management measures, which could include banning or restricting certain uses of the chemical.
What is American Chemistry Doing to Reduce Risk?
The principle of risk reduction is an integral part of the normal day-to-day operations of the business of chemistry. Industry’s
ability to innovate allows us to respond to society’s evolving needs for healthier, safer, and more energy efficient lifestyles.
Through ACC’s Responsible Care® initiative, ACC member companies go above and beyond government rules and regulations
to continuously improve their environmental, health, safety, and security performance. ACC members employ a rigorous
management system certified by third-party auditors. Among numerous other elements, auditors verify that companies have
systems to manage risk associated with chemical products and that those systems include the entire life cycle of a product–
development, transport, use, and disposal or recycling – in a safe and secure manner. Companies are audited on their programs
to protect the environment and conserve resources, as well as their efforts to engage community stakeholders about the
company’s impact on human health and the environment. Company performance under Responsible Care is shared publicly.
ACC members are participating in two important voluntary programs with EPA: the Voluntary Children’s Chemical Evaluation
Program and the High Production Volume Challenge Program. Through these programs, manufacturers are providing
thousands of studies on chemical hazard properties and exposure potential in an open and transparent process. In addition,
ACC’s Long-Range Research Initiative sponsors independent research to expand scientific knowledge of the potential impacts
that chemicals may have on the health of human and wildlife populations and the environment.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
• The National Library of Medicine’s toxicology dictionary, [Link]
• [Link]/champ
• [Link]/hpv
• [Link]/responsiblecare
• [Link]/lri