Glossary · Risk estimation methods
Hazard log
In safety engineering, a hazard log is a controlled record of identified hazards, risk decisions, controls, status and evidence. It is maintained throughout the lifecycle and shows for each hazard whether it is open, mitigated or closed.
- Machine safety
- Risk assessment
- Technical documentation
In one sentence
A hazard log tracks every identified hazard from discovery to closure, with its risk decision, controls, owner and evidence, under change control.
Example
An integrator of a packaging line keeps a hazard log in which each entry links to the risk assessment, the guard or safety function that addresses it, the verification report and the warning in the manual.
How it applies
- Evidence: A hazard log is the backbone of traceability from hazard to measure, verification and information for use. Each entry should have a stable ID, owner, status and links to evidence.
- Change control: Every design change, field incident or new operating mode should trigger a review of the affected entries. Treat the log as a controlled document with version history.
- Technical documentation: Writers can use the hazard log to check that every residual risk that needs user action appears in the manual, and that warnings reference the right hazard.
- AI and retrieval: Structured hazard logs, with consistent IDs and vocabulary, can be queried and linked to documentation topics; free-text spreadsheets cannot do this reliably.
Hazard log vs. risk assessment
The risk assessment documents the analysis and evaluation. The hazard log tracks the status of each hazard and its controls over time. In many projects the two are combined, but the tracking function must not be lost.