This is a great question and you’ll sometimes hear about this debate as it relates to chemical laws and regulations. “Hazard” is a property of an ingredient. For example, the hazard from table salt is that it can contribute to high blood pressure. “Risk” is the LIKELIHOOD that the hazard will happen. Using the table salt example, the risk of high blood pressure is low if you don’t eat too much of it. So risk is about the degree of hazard with an ingredient AND the dose that a person receives – meaning the amount and the length of the exposure over time. Some people argue that ingredients with any hazard are harmful. But as with the table salt example, often hazards can be easily managed.
At SC Johnson, we take a risk-based approach. This means:
- 1. Selecting the least toxic ingredient to get the job done.
- 2. Ensuring that ingredients with hazardous properties are restricted to safe levels and keep to the lowest concentration for the job at hand.
- 3. Designing products to act quickly, to reduce the amount and duration of exposure.
- 4. Designing packaging that reduces exposure, for example ensuring a product that could trigger a skin allergy is packaged in a leak-proof container.
- 5. Designing sprays to minimize inhalation, for example creating bigger droplets of cleaner so they’ll fall to the surface you’re cleaning instead of hanging in the air.
- 6. Always providing clear label instructions to prevent misuse that could increase the risk of using a product. Labels are there for a reason – please make sure you read and follow instructions.
Want to know more? The U.S. EPA has a great resource on risk assessment here.
Thank you!