1. Risk Evaluation
Determines the relative seriousness of hazard risks as they affect the local community
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2. “[The] public [is] willing to accept voluntary risks approximately 1,000 times greater than involuntary risks” Keith Smith, in Environmental Hazards: Assessing and Reducing Disaster
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3. 3 Methods Used to Evaluate Risk
Creating a risk matrix
Comparing hazard risks against levels of risk estimated during the analysis process with previously established risk evaluation criteria
Evaluating risks according the SMAUG methodology
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4. FEMA Risk Matrix Values
Class A: High-risk condition with highest priority for mitigation and contingency planning (immediate action)
Class B: Moderate-to-high-risk condition with risk addressed by mitigation and contingency planning (prompt action)
Class C: Risk condition sufficiently high to give consideration for further mitigation and planning (planned action)
Class D: Low-risk condition with additional mitigation contingency planning (advisory in nature)
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5. Risk Matrix Example Session 20
Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency MultiHazard: Identification and Risk Assessment. FEMA. Washington, DC. P.315
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6. Risk Register Name of the Risk Qualitative likelihood value
Qualitative consequences value
Level of risk as determined by evaluation on the risk matrix
Priority rating
Additional information
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7. Risk Evaluation Criteria
Loss of life and harm to people’s health
Economic loss
Environmental harm
Lifeline damage
Social infrastructure damage
Loss of heritage
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8. Hazards Risk Management Analysis Context
Legal requirements
Cost and equity
Risks that are clearly unacceptable
Risks that should be kept as low as reasonably practicable
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9. SMAUG Prioritization Process
The SMAUG Prioritization Process
Factor
Description
Priority Rating
S – Seriousness
The risk will affect the most people and/or will cost the most money
It will affect the least number of people or cost the least dollars.
High Priority
Low Priority
M - Manageability
The risk could be most affected by intervention
We can do little to affect the risk.
A – Acceptability
The risk is the least acceptable in terms of the political, social, or economic impact
It will have little political, social, or economic impact
U – Urgency
The risk urgently needs to be fixed
It could be fixed next year
G – Growth
The risk will increase quickly
The risk will remain static
From Lunn, John “Community Consultation: The Foundation of Effective Risk Management.” Journal of Emergency Management. V.1, No.1, Spring. Pp
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