Comprehensive Analysis of Health Risk Matrices in Public Health

This report delves into the application of health risk matrices within the realm of public health. It begins by defining health risk assessment and risk matrices as essential tools for characterizing potential adverse effects from environmental risks and aiding decision-making processes to mitigate harmful exposures. The report then explores the use of risk matrices in ranking risks and setting safety priorities, highlighting their importance in public healthcare. It presents three types of health risk matrices: those related to hazardous chemicals, malnutrition, and disease outbreaks, outlining their strengths and weaknesses. For each type, the report discusses the potential hazards, implications, and the effectiveness of proposed safety measures. The report concludes by emphasizing the effectiveness of risk matrices in simplifying risk assessment and management, while also suggesting the need for institutes to regulate their design and size to suit their specific needs. The paper provides a comprehensive overview of the matrices used in public health settings.

Running head: HEALTH RISK MATRICES 1
Health Risk Matrices
Name
Institutional Affiliation

HEALTH RISK MATRICES 2
Introduction
Wellbeing threat assessment involves the characterization of any probable adverse effects
from environmental risks to human exposures. This assessment acts as a tool that is used by the
public as well as government agencies and scientists during decision making on how to avoid
and decrease any exposure to harmful substances. To aid in health risk assessment, risk
assessment matrices are used (Klinke & Renn, 2002). These risk matrices help in categorizing
potential threats as well as setting priorities for implementation of safety measures. Assessment
and risk management is vital in public healthcare institutions, although documentation details of
these procedures vary amongst several public wellbeing programs (Ginter, 2018).
Examples of Health Risk Matrices/ their Weaknesses and Strengths
Use of risk matrices is one of the methods used during risk ranking. Risk matrices are
defined as the mechanisms used to describe and rank risk events that are usually recognized via
one or more multifunctional assessments such as process hazard investigation, incident
investigations or audits, they are also defined as tables with various categories of “likelihood” or
“frequency” intended for the columns or rows and “consequences” or “impact” categories for the
rows or columns correspondingly. Risk matrices generally provide a team with the possible risks
and ways the risk can probably be handled. In regards to public health, there are several risks that
can be experienced like, malnutrition, hazardous chemicals just to mention a few (Visschers,
Meertens, Passchier & DeVries, 2007).

HEALTH RISK MATRICES 3
Types of Health Risk Matrices in Public Health
1. Risk Matrix on Hazardous Chemicals
Many industries, as well as individuals, associate themselves with chemicals in most of
their day to day activities. This type of risk matrix will provide more information on the possible
threats these hazardous chemicals would have to the public.
Strengths
a) Provide classification of types of hazardous chemicals.
b) Indicate the implication levels these chemicals have on human or animal health.
c) The matrix will help in knowing what health safety precautions to put in place.
Weaknesses
a) It might not provide the potential risks for each of the chemicals being used in a particular
setting.
b) Precaution measures may include the use of expensive equipment which may not be
affordable for some companies posing a threat to its workers.
c) Several chemicals may portray similar threats which need different precaution measures and
this may lead to a critical issue if the staff and employers are not keen (Nel, Xia, Mädler & Li,
2006).
2. Risk Matrix on Malnutrition
Most families in the third world countries may fail to have access to proper diets as a
result of the poor economy. Children tend to be more prone to malnutrition since their immune
systems, reproductive systems, as well as digestive systems, are still developing.
Strengths

HEALTH RISK MATRICES 4
a) The matrix will provide information on the possible threats in case of poor dieting.
b) It will provide alternative methods to prevent children from getting malnourished.
c) It will be able to show the implication levels of malnutrition either insignificant or
catastrophic.
Weaknesses
a) The matrix might not provide the immediate actions to take in case of a critical malnutrition
issue thus causing a major problem.
b) Measures to be taken might not be applicable to all for instance if a family has over five
children and most of them are below ten years and all have signs of malnutrition and the family
is not economically stable to fend them, they will opt to feed on what they can afford.
c) The matrix might precaution information might not reach the marginalized groups if there is
no adequate staff (Müller & Krawinkel, 2005).
3. Risk Matrix on Disease Outbreaks
All countries want to be ranked as the newly developed nation across the globe. These
recent trends of increased developments in many countries have led to urbanization since
everyone wants to live in the major cities. This has resulted in congestion in these cities leading
to poor health conditions due to poor drainage and sanitation. These poor conditions provide a
favorable breeding site for disease-causing microorganisms.
Strengths
a) It will provide potential hazards that might cause diseases as a result of poor living
conditions.

HEALTH RISK MATRICES 5
b) It can be used to identify the likelihood of people getting sick.
c) It can help in the establishment of precaution measures to prevent disease outbreaks.
.
Weaknesses
a) It might not provide precaution measures to all the diseases that might be as a result of poor
living conditions.
b) Community awareness may be required to help in the implementation of some of the
preventive measure but the matrix might fail to capture this (Vlahov et al, 2007).
Conclusion
Risk assessment and management methods are being established in many fields to aid in
safety decision making. Increasing responsibilities have forced many policymakers to make
tough choices about prioritizing risk measures for their organizations. Risk matrices are very
effective tools in creating and developing risk assessment decisions since they present the
outcomes in a more simplified manner thus helping one to understand the comparative risk of
several incidents that might be met in a particular system. Despite risk matrices being useful in
classifying risks, institutes should regulate the size and design of risk matrices to suit their needs
(Reason, 2016).

HEALTH RISK MATRICES 6
References
Ginter, P. M. (2018). The strategic management of health care organizations. John Wiley &
Sons.
Klinke, A., & Renn, O. (2002). A new approach to risk evaluation and management: Risk‐based,
precaution‐based, and discourse‐based strategies. Risk analysis, 22(6), 1071-1094.
Müller, O., & Krawinkel, M. (2005). Malnutrition and health in developing countries. Canadian
Medical Association Journal, 173(3), 279-286.
Nel, A., Xia, T., Mädler, L., & Li, N. (2006). Toxic potential of materials at the nanolevel.
science, 311(5761), 622-627.
Peter, A. J., & Viraraghavan, T. (2005). Thallium: a review of public health and environmental
concerns. Environment international, 31(4), 493-501.
Reason, J. (2016). Managing the risks of organizational accidents. Routledge.Visschers, V. H.,
Meertens, R. M., Passchier, W. F., & DeVries, N. K. (2007). How does the general
public evaluate risk information? The impact of associations with other risks. Risk
Analysis, 27(3), 715-727.
Vlahov, D., Freudenberg, N., Proietti, F., Ompad, D., Quinn, A., Nandi, V., & Galea, S. (2007).
Urban as a determinant of health. Journal of Urban Health, 84(1), 16-26.

HEALTH RISK MATRICES 7