Hazard Identification and Risk Analysis helps hospitals identify, score and control risks before harm or disruption occurs.
What HIRA Means
HIRA means Hazard Identification and Risk Analysis. In a hospital, it is a structured method for identifying hazards, assessing probability and severity, recording current controls, assigning corrective action and reviewing residual risk.
The goal is not to create a decorative register. The goal is to help departments make safer decisions in areas such as fire safety, infection control, patient movement, equipment use, utilities, waste handling and high-risk clinical care.
Risk-register Fields
Practical Reference Table
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Risk category | Groups similar risks such as clinical, facility, infection, utility or occupational risk. |
| Hazard | Names the specific source of harm or failure. |
| Affected area | Identifies where the risk applies. |
| Probability and severity | Creates a consistent initial risk score. |
| Existing control | Records what is already reducing the risk. |
| Corrective action | Defines the improvement needed. |
| Owner and deadline | Makes the action trackable. |
| Residual score | Shows the expected risk after control improvement. |
How to Run HIRA Practically
- Walk the area with department staff instead of filling the register from memory.
- Score risks consistently and document the scoring method used by the hospital.
- Prioritise high-risk items for immediate control, not only committee discussion.
- Review closure evidence, not just action promises.
- Repeat HIRA after major change, incidents, renovation or service expansion.
Common Gaps
Common HIRA gaps include generic hazards, missing owners, no deadline, unrealistic residual scores, and no link between HIRA findings and actual maintenance, training, procurement or process-change work.
Official Sources
Official sources are used for regulatory context. Current official notifications, portals and standards prevail over this article.
- NABH Hospital Accreditation Standards 6th Edition (opens in a new tab) - Official 6th Edition standards document. Do not reproduce the standard text verbatim.
- NABH Hospitals Accreditation Programme (opens in a new tab) - Official hospital accreditation programme page.
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