Hazard

A hazard is a potential source of harm. Substances, events, or circumstances can constitute hazards when their nature would allow them, even just theoretically, to cause damage to health, life, property, or any other interest of value.

In the aerospace context, a hazard refers to any potential source of harm or danger to people, equipment, or the environment. Hazards can include physical, chemical, biological, and environmental factors that can affect the safety and performance of aerospace vehicles and equipment, as well as the safety of people involved in aerospace operations.

Examples of hazards in the aerospace context include:

• Mechanical hazards, such as equipment failure, structural failure, and human error.
• Environmental hazards, such as severe weather, turbulence, icing, and lightning strikes.
• Chemical hazards, such as toxic fumes, fuel spills, and fire.
• Biological hazards, such as diseases, pests, and microorganisms.
• Radiation hazards, such as solar flares, cosmic rays, and micrometeoroids.
• Human factors hazards, such as fatigue, stress, and human error.
• Cybersecurity hazards, such as hacking and cyberattacks on aircraft systems and networks.

All these hazards are taken into account during the design, manufacturing, operation and maintenance of aerospace vehicles and equipment. Aerospace companies and agencies have safety and hazard management systems in place to identify and mitigate hazards and to ensure the safety of people and equipment.

Risk assessment, hazard analysis, and safety management systems (SMS) are some of the methods that are used to identify and mitigate hazards in the aerospace industry. These methods help to identify and analyze the potential hazards, evaluate the risks associated with them, and develop and implement measures to control or eliminate them.