We explain the difference between danger and risk, the relationship between both and the origins of each term. Also, types of danger and risk.
What is the difference between danger and risk?
It is not uncommon to confuse the notions of risk and danger in colloquial speech, given that both refer to unwanted things that can happen but in more technical or specific areas, such as prevention or insurance, the distinction between both terms becomes very important. To fully understand it, let's first look at both concepts.
A hazard is an event or situation that poses a threat for the integrity of people, their property or the environment, since it embodies the possibility of a potentially harmful incident occurring in one way or another. The danger can be presented as a dangerous situation or dangerous element.
This word comes from Latin periculum“test” or “attempt” and therefore “risk”, and adjectives are usually added that make explicit the conditions under which said harmful incident would occur: a “real” danger, if the incident could occur here and now, or a “potential” danger if the conditions are in place for the incident to occur in the future, whether in the short, medium or long term.
Instead, Risk is the measure of the magnitude of damage that could result from a dangerous incident. . That is, what negative consequences could it bring, or what probability of damage exists once it actually occurs. The word comes from Italian rischio“cliff”, given the danger that transit through these places represented for boats.
As in the case of danger, we usually distinguish between different types of risks: risk of death, health risk, biological risk, financial risk, occupational risk, etc., depending on the type of consequences that could occur in each case.
Seen this way, the difference between danger and risk is that between an agent and the consequences of his action. Every hazard is capable of causing damage, and therefore entails a risk or what is the same, risk is what could be violated if measures are not taken to face a danger.
Let's see it with an example. Suppose that in a pesticide factory, the safety committee discovers a small leak of a highly toxic gas. Logically, such a leak is a danger, since the gas itself is dangerous: its effects on the human body can be lethal.
So, if the leak is not immediately resolved, the personnel working in the factory are at risk of death, risk of poisoning and occupational risk. At the same time, if the company does not fix it and people die, it will undoubtedly run the risk of receiving a multimillion-dollar lawsuit from the relatives of any victims.
Another example, even simpler: an asteroid heading at full speed towards Earth is a danger to life on the planet, since its impact would be catastrophic on a global level. That is why space agencies have space surveillance systems, so as not to run the risk of the asteroid being discovered when it is too late.
References
- “Danger” on Wikipedia.
- “Risk” on Wikipedia.
- “Etymology of Danger” in the Online Spanish Etymological Dictionary.
- “Etymology of Risk” in the Online Spanish Etymological Dictionary.
- “What is the difference between a danger and a risk?” in the Information Bulletin of the Occupational Risk Prevention Center (Peru).
- “Difference between danger and risk (infographic)” in EUFIC.
