Exploring
Risk Assessment
Every institution has its own unique set of hazards (e.g., threats to the building and/or collections). Risk assessment studies the probability that specific hazards will result in disaster. The most likely disasters and their potential effects should be identified during the risk assessment process. When assessing risks, focus on the following questions:
- Which of the identified hazards are the most significant to the site or the collection
- What risk of disaster is posed by each of these hazards?
- Which sources of risk can be eliminated or moderated?
- Which risks must be addressed in the emergency plan?
A word of caution: Do not try to address all potential risks in your disaster plan, at least not at first. Trying to plan for too many different scenarios is confusing and bogs down the planning process.
Exploring: External Hazards
