Inherent risk
What is inherent risk?
Area of use
The inherent risk is the risk a risk source carries in itself, before it has been mitigated or managed in any way, for example through a risk assessment or protective measures. It is fixed and cannot be affected by how the risk source is used in the organisation.
The inherent risk is calculated based on the risk source's properties and chemical composition — primarily based on which hazard statements (H- and EUH codes) are linked to the product.
LevelsThe inherent risk has five levels:
| Level | Description |
|---|---|
| Negligible | Minimal inherent hazard |
| Caution | Low but not insignificant inherent hazard |
| Notice | Moderate inherent hazard — requires attention |
| Warning | High inherent hazard |
| Hazardous | Very high inherent hazard — includes CMR substances, acutely toxic substances, etc. |
The inherent risk is primarily used when evaluating or comparing risk sources, for example in purchasing decisions or substitution work. It provides an objective measure of the risk source's inherent danger, independent of how and where it is used.
Exceptional cases| Status | Means |
|---|---|
| Exempt | The risk source does not require an SDS and is not matched against the risk scale |
| Excluded | Manually removed from the calculation |
| Pending risk | Identified but data is missing — shown on both levels until full information is available |