What constitutes an effective risk assessment for district facilities and operations?

• A. Identify hazards only, with no assessment of likelihood or severity.
• B. Identify hazards, likelihood, severity, controls, and a plan with mitigation steps, funding sources, and timelines; review regularly.
• C. Rely on anecdotal impressions and skip formal mitigation.
• D. Only document hazards without a mitigation plan.

Answer: (B)

An effective risk assessment is action-oriented and proactive. It combines identifying hazards with estimating how likely they are to occur and how severe their impact could be. It then specifies the controls that will reduce those risks and lays out a concrete mitigation plan that includes funding sources and timelines. Finally, it’s not a one-off exercise—the assessment is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect changes in facilities, operations, regulations, and experiences.

This approach is the best because it prioritizes where to focus resources based on risk level, ensures there are clear steps to reduce risk, and assigns accountability through timelines and funding. Without likelihood and severity, you can’t tell which hazards matter most. Relying on impressions or anecdotes misses systematic evaluation, and documenting hazards without a mitigation plan leaves risk unaddressed and untracked.

For example, in district facilities you might identify risks like aging HVAC systems or electrical panels. You’d assess how likely each is and how bad the impact would be, implement specific controls, outline funding and a schedule for fixes, and then review the plan annually or when conditions change to keep it current.