A risk grade is never a “feeling” — it is the answer to two questions : how badly could someone realistically be hurt (consequence) and how likely is that at this site, as you found it today (likelihood). Grade the hazard with the controls you can see already in place , not the worst case imaginable. Answer the two questions below and the tool recommends the grade.
Decision helper
1 If this hazard went wrong, what is the worst realistic outcome ?
Minor First aid at most — small cut, light bruise, brief discomfort. Back to work same shift. Moderate Doctor / medical treatment, possible days off — sprain, chemical splash to skin, deep cut. Major Hospitalisation, permanent injury or worse — electric shock, fall from height, needle-stick, mixing incompatible chemicals.
2 How likely is that outcome at this site, as you found it ?
Unlikely Would take an unusual combination of events; good controls already in place. Possible Could happen from time to time during normal cleaning at this site. Likely Will probably happen sooner or later if nothing changes — you can see it building.
Clear answers and start again
Quick reference matrix
Likelihood ↓ / Consequence → Minor Moderate Major
Likely Medium High High Possible Low Medium High Unlikely Low Medium Medium
Simplified from the company 5×5 matrix (SWMS DOC-0014) for site grading. Notice that consequence outweighs likelihood : a hazard that could kill or hospitalise someone is never Low, no matter how unlikely it seems.
What each grade means in a cleaning context
Low Routine hazard, fully handled by standard practice — normal PPE, wet-floor signs, colour-coded cloths. Examples: general dusting near furniture edges, mopping a small back-of-house area out of hours, standard vacuuming.
Medium Needs specific attention or an extra control before/during work, but the team can manage it with the SWMS. Examples: wet floors where the public walks through, after-hours lone work, ladder use for high dusting, poor lighting in stairwells, repetitive strain from long mopping runs.
High Could seriously injure someone — work must not start until specific controls are confirmed. Flag it to the office before proceeding. Examples: electrical hazards near water, sharps or medical waste, risk of incompatible chemicals mixing, working at height above 1.8 m, aggressive occupants.
Golden rules
Grade the site as you found it today — not how it should be, and not a theoretical worst case. If the client has good controls in place, that lowers the grade; if controls are missing, that raises it.Consequence first, likelihood second. Ask “how badly?” before “how often?”. Anything that could hospitalise someone is at least Medium.If two grades both feel right, pick the higher one. Over-grading costs a few extra controls; under-grading can cost an injury.The pre-set grade is the company default for a typical site. Only change it when this site is clearly different — and say why in the “Reason for rating” box.Any High grade = call the office before workers start, so controls are confirmed and documented.When genuinely unsure, don’t guess — photograph the hazard and check with the Responsible Person. A two-minute call beats a wrong grade.