Rating C6
Descriptor/ Impact Insignificant
Area
Illness, first aid or injury not
requiring medical treatment
Health and Safety
(Injury and Disease)
No appreciable changes to
environment and/or highly
localised event.
Environment
Short duration disruptions
affecting part of one section
Customer of the business.
Experience/
Operational
Reliability
Negative article in local
media. No discernible
reaction/apprehension.
Goodwill, confidence and
trust retained.
Government/
Stakeholder / Public
Trust/ Confidence
Low-level non-compliance
with legal and/or regulatory
requirement or duty by
individuals or company.
Regulatory or Legal
Breach
C5
Minor
Illness or minor injuries
requiring medical
treatment.
Change from normal
conditions within
environmental regulatory
limits and environmental
effects are within site
boundaries.
Minor disruptions affecting
several parts of one section
of the business.
Unease – Series of negative
articles in local/state
media. Confidence remains
with some minor loss of
goodwill or trust.
Recoverable with little
effort or cost. Some
continuing
scrutiny/attention.
Minor non-compliance with
legal and/or regulatory
requirement or duty.
Investigation and/or report
to authority.
 An event, the impact of which An event, the impact of
can be absorbed as part of which can be absorbed but
normal activity. some additional
Management management effort is
Effort/ required.
Organisational
Fatigue

No time delay with initiative Minor delay with the

or project but it will incur a initiative and/or a minor
slight decrease in the benefits decrease in the benefits
realised. realised; or minor delay on
the project or another
Benefit Realisation project, with no public
of Initiative, implications.
Program or Project

Budget, Costs or
Revenue
 C4 C3 C2

Moderate Major Severe

Single recoverable lost 1-10 major injuries Single fatality and/or 10-20
time injury or illness, requiring hospitalisation major injuries/permanent
alternate/restricted and numerous days lost, or disabilities/chronic diseases.
duties injury, or short- medium-term occupational
term occupational illness.
illness.

Short-term and/or well- Impacts external ecosystem Long-term environmental

contained environmental and considerable impairment in neighbouring
effects. Minor remedial remediation is required. or valued ecosystems.
actions probably Extensive remediation
required. required.

Serious disruptions Major disruptions affecting Short duration shutdowns or

affecting operation of operations of one section of substantial disruptions
one complete section of the business with effects on affecting multiple parts of the
the business. one or more other sectkons business with business-wide
of the business. cascading effects.

Disappointment – Concern – Short-term Displeasure – Extended

Extended negative negative state/national negative state/national media
local/state media media coverage. coverage. Confidence and
coverage. Confidence Confidence and trust are trust are damaged but
and trust dented but are diminished but are recoverable at considerable
quickly recoverable at recoverable with time, staff cost, time and staff effort.
modest cost within effort and additional
existing budget and funding.
resources.

Moderate non- Major breach resulting in Substantial breach resulting in

compliance. Subject to enforcement action and/or prosecution, fines and/or
comment and prohibition notices. litigation. Licence or
monitoring from Substantial fine and no accreditation restricted or
applicable regulator. disruption to business. conditional affecting ability to
Small fine and no operate.
disruption to business.
An event, the impact of Major event which can be Severe event which requires
which can be absorbed absorbed, but substantial extensive management effort
but much broader management effort is but can be survived.
management effort is required.
required.

Several delays with the Major delays with the Severe delays with initiative,
initiative and/or initiative and/or major which impacts across divisions
moderate decrease in decrease in benefits and/or significant decrease in
benefits realised; or realised; or publicly benefits realised; or publicly
completion date missed announced announced portion/milestone
for non-critical path portion/milestone missed missed or final completion
project. or final completion date date missed on critical path
missed with demonstrable project.
mitigating external
circumstances.
 C1

Catastrophic
Multiple fatalities and/or >20
major injuries/permanent
disabilities/chronic diseases

Irreversible large-scale
environmental impact with
loss of valued ecosystems.

Extensive shutdowns or
extended disruptions with
business-wide effects.

Outrage – Material change in

the public perception of the
organisation. Confidence and
trust are severely damaged,
possibly irreparably, and full
recovery both questionable
and costly.

Prosecution leading to
imprisonment of company
executive. Loss of business.
Catastrophic event with the
clear potential to lead to the
collapse of the organisation.

Failure to realise benefits of

the initiative which adversely
affects the enterprise-wide
operations of company; or
publicly announced portion/
milestone significantly missed
or final completion date
significantly missed on critical
path project.
 Risk Rating Response Review Frequency
Generally Intollerable

Very high risks are generally intolerable and

should be avoided except in extraordinary
circumstances. Where the risk has health,
safety or environmental consequences the Monthly
activity must not be undertaken without the
explicit approval of the CDEO. An alternative
solution must be found and all necessary steps
must be taken to reduce the risk below this
A level without delay.
Undesirable

High risks are undesirable. They can only be

tolerated if it is not reasonably practicable to
reduce the risk further. Where the risk has
health, safety or environmental consequences Monthly
the activity must not be undertaken without
the explicit approval of the relevant Director
who is to verify that all reasonably practicable
treatments have been implemented. High risks
are considered to be on the verge of being
unacceptable and must be given immediate
B priority.
Tolerable

Medium risks are tolerable if it is not

reasonably practicable to reduce the risk
further. Where a risk has health, safety or
environmental consequences the activity
should be reviewed to determine if the risk Two Monthly
can be reduced further and whether all
reasonable and practicable controls have been
considered and/or applied. Additional
treatment measures should be sought if
significant benefit can be demonstrated
and/or there is an additional treatment
measure which is recognised as good practice
C in other like environments.
 Broadly Acceptable

Low risks are considered to be broadly

acceptable. Where the risk has health, safety
or environmental consequences control
measures should be effective, reliable and
subject to appropriate monitoring. If options Quarterly
for further risk reduction exist and costs are
proportionate to the benefits, then
implementation of such measures should be
considered. The risk and its treatments should
be subject to appropriate degrees and forms
of monitoring to ensure that it remains at this
D level.