Who should conduct risk assessments?

• A. Trained personnel who can identify hazards, evaluate likelihood and consequences, and implement controls.
• B. Untrained staff.
• C. The general public.
• D. Vendors only.

Answer: (A)

Risk assessments must be carried out by trained personnel who can identify hazards, evaluate their likelihood and consequences, and implement appropriate controls. This involves recognizing what could go wrong, judging how probable it is and how severe the impact would be, and then selecting and applying measures to reduce risk to an acceptable level. In ammunition storage, this means understanding how different hazards interact with storage conditions, packaging, temperature and humidity controls, separation of items, ignition sources, handling practices, and emergency response.

Untrained staff may miss or misjudge hazards and lack the methods to estimate risk or choose effective controls, leading to incomplete or unreliable assessments. The general public lacks site-specific knowledge and authorization, making them unsuitable for this role. Vendors, while valuable for supplies and services, do not typically have the required responsibility or detailed understanding of the site’s unique risks and controls.