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RiskAssessment
For hazard analysis and critical control point building water
management, quantitative risk assessment per se is not required. However
riskcharacterization isnecessaryas indicated incolumn3ofTable4.
Although this distinction between risk characterization and risk
assessment may seem at first merely semantic, upon closer examination it
should become clear that it is not a trivial difference. Hazard analysis and
control is aquantitativeprocesswith thegoal toeliminate, reduceorprevent
hazards fromharmingpeople.But, forexample, legionellosis riskassessment
is aqualitativeprocesswhichcanat besthelp identifyprecautions thatwhen
implemented will reduce the risk of contracting legionellosis. It should be
noted that although progress towards a quantitative risk assessment model
has beenmade, the consensus opinion at this time is that legionellosis risk
assessmentmust beconsideredqualitative.
RiskCharacterization
Therefore, qualitative risk characterizationmust result in a decision by
theWaterManagement Team regarding the significance of the risk at each
processing step (refer toTable 4, column 4). Risk characterizationmatrices
canbe veryhelpful.The following is practical approachgiven as an example
(adapted fromKraegschmidt 2014).
