Which term describes the potential for loss or injury?

The term that best describes the potential for loss or injury is "Risk." In risk management and safety assessments, risk refers to the likelihood that a hazard will lead to an adverse event, which can encompass loss, injury, or damage.

Risks are often evaluated by considering the severity and frequency of potential negative outcomes, allowing individuals and organizations to prioritize and mitigate those risks effectively. By understanding risk, one can implement strategies to reduce the chances of harm, making it a critical concept in fields such as safety, disaster management, and emergency response.

Other terms, while related, do not capture the full essence of the potential for loss or injury in the same way. A hazard refers to a source of potential harm, while a threat typically denotes a person or event that might exploit a vulnerability. Danger usually implies an immediate condition that poses harm but doesn’t encompass the broader potential for adverse outcomes that risk does.