A hazard is defined as:

A hazard is defined as:

• A. A potential source of harm.
• B. The actual harm that has occurred.
• C. The probability of an event.
• D. The severity of an event.

Answer: (A)

A hazard is a condition or situation with the potential to cause harm. In aviation safety, hazards can be things like weather conditions, equipment faults, or human factors such as fatigue—the element that could lead to an incident if not mitigated. The important point is that harm hasn’t happened yet; the hazard is about the possibility, not an actual event. This distinguishes hazards from actual harm, which is the injury or damage that has already occurred. It also separates hazards from probability and severity: probability is how likely an event is to occur, and severity is how bad the consequences could be. Hazard identifies the source of potential harm, while risk combines likelihood and severity to gauge overall danger. So the definition that describes a potential source of harm best captures what a hazard means.

A hazard is a condition or situation with the potential to cause harm. In aviation safety, hazards can be things like weather conditions, equipment faults, or human factors such as fatigue—the element that could lead to an incident if not mitigated. The important point is that harm hasn’t happened yet; the hazard is about the possibility, not an actual event.

This distinguishes hazards from actual harm, which is the injury or damage that has already occurred. It also separates hazards from probability and severity: probability is how likely an event is to occur, and severity is how bad the consequences could be. Hazard identifies the source of potential harm, while risk combines likelihood and severity to gauge overall danger. So the definition that describes a potential source of harm best captures what a hazard means.