Add/Edit a Risk Assessment Model
Within this article you will find instructions on how to build a Risk Assessment Model (RAM) in Safefood 360°. The Risk Assessment Model allows a User to create and customise their own Risk Assessment Models. Risk Assessment Models are used within different modules throughout the system, for example, within a Food Safety Plan, to be used as part of a Hazard Analysis, or into a Supplier/Material Template/Programme, to be used as part of Supplier/Material Assessment.
See the instructions below on how to build:
1. A Matrix-Based Model (at least 2 criteria. e.g. Probability vs Severity) used in Food Safety Plans
2. A Criteria-Based Model (multiple various requirement questions, such as GFSI Certified, etc.) used in Supplier/Material Assessments
Note: Risk Assessment Models can also be created to replace the Module Default Risk Assessment Models (RAM) in Safefood 360°. However, we cannot simply select the Risk Assessment within the module as we do within the Food Safety Plans or Supply Chain Full Assessments. A ticket must be sent to the Support Team via the 'Help' button to request the Support Team to change the module default Risk Assessment Model to our newly built Risk Assessment Model. See the section of the article below on Changing Module Default Risk Assessment Models.
How to Add a Risk Assessment Model
Image: Navigating to the 'Add Risk Assessment Model' Button
To add a Risk Assessment Model, navigate to the Food Safety Plan module via the 'Risk>Food Safety Plan' dropdown. Once within the Food Safety Plan module, click the 'Add Model>Risk Assessment Model' button.
Image: Blank Risk Assessment Model
Add a Matrix-Based Risk Assessment Model (Food Safety Plans)
This section expands on Matrix-Based Risk Assessment Models in contrast to the section below which will expand on Criteria-Based Risk Assessment Models. The Risk Criteria structure is the same for a Matrix-Based Model and a Criteria-Based Model. However, it is recommended to use at least two Risk Criteria for a Matrix-Based Model.
After opening the Risk Assessment Model page, there are different sections to complete. Some are mandatory while others are optional.
See below the details on the Risk Assessment Model page sections:
Image: Blank Model Details - Name and Folder
1. Name: The 'Name' of the Risk Assessment (RA) Model. This will be the name that appears when selecting the RA Model in a Food Safety Plan, Template or Programme. [Mandatory Field]
2. Folder: Select the folder you would like to save this RA Model in. For ease of selection, it is recommended that you group similar RA Models within the same folder, e.g. Supplier Assessments, Materials Assessments, Food Safety Plan, etc.
Image: Completed Model Details - Name and Folder
Image: Blank Model Details - Risk Criteria
The Risk Criteria is where you will define the Criteria that will be assessed during your Risk Assessment. Any number of Criteria can be defined. In a Matrix-Based Model used in a Food Safety Plan, generally there will be two criteria, e.g. Probability and Severity.
1. Name: This is the 'Name' of the Criterion to be defined. [Mandatory Field]
2. Guidance/Procedure: Documents with guidance data to help the User complete the Risk Assessment can be selected from the dropdown. The dropdown comes from the Documents module, therefore the Document needed must be uploaded to Master Data via the Documents module before it can be selected here.
Note: The Guidance/Procedure Document can then be previewed or downloaded while completing the Risk Assessment in the Food Safety Plan.
Image: 'Preview Document' Button in Food Safety Plan Hazard Analysis Risk Assessment Workflow
3. Name: The 'Name' for the Risk Criteria can be detailed within this open text field, e.g. Likely, Unlikely, Severe Symptoms, etc. The 'Name' will become the dropdown option called 'Risk Value' to be selected within the Risk Assessment Model in the Food Safety Plan. [Mandatory Field]
4. Risk Value: This is the numerical value of the Risk that corresponds to the Risk 'Name'. The higher the Risk Value, relative to the maximum Risk Value, the higher the risk associated with that rating. [Mandatory Field]
5. X: Click the 'X' button to delete unwanted lines.
6. Add Line: Click the 'Add Line' button to create more lines to detail more options for the Risk Criteria dropdown.
7. Delete Risk Criteria: Click the 'Delete Risk Criteria' button to delete an entire Risk Criteria section.
8. Add Risk Criteria: Click the 'Add Risk Criteria' button to create more Risk Criteria. There is no limit to the number you can add.
Image: Completed Model Details - Risk Criteria
Image: Model Details - Risk Rating Details
Note: The Risk Rating Details 'Risk Criteria Summary' will populate with the information you have added into the Risk Criteria. Therefore, this section will only be blank when no Risk Criteria have been added.
1. Basis Of Calculation: The required basis of calculation can be selected here, Addition (Criteria-Based Model) or Multiplication (Matrix-Based Model). If 'Addition' is selected, the Max Risk Values will be added. If 'Multiplication' is selected, the Max Risk Values will be multiplied. [Mandatory Field]
2. Category: The 'Name' of each Criteria defined in the Risk Criteria outlined above is gathered in this table automatically by Safefood 360°.
3. Max Risk Value: This displays the maximum possible Risk Value within each Criteria and the maximum value of the overall Risk Assessment Model, reflecting the Basis of Calculation.
4. Percentage: This displays the percentage that each Criteria holds within the Risk Assessment Model.
The Risk Rating defines your Risk Assessment Result requirements which will be used in the background of your Risk Assessment calculations.
Image: Blank Model Details - Risk Rating
1. Risk: An open text field to detail the name of the Risk Rating, e.g. High, Medium, Low, etc. [Mandatory Field]
2. From: The 'From' section indicates the figure from which the Risk Rating should be assigned. It is not editable by the User. Safefood 360° will automatically calculate the 'From' values once the 'To' sections have been completed. [Mandatory Field]
3. To: The 'To' section is where the User will define the numerical limits for each Risk Rating. Safefood 360° will automatically calculate the max value within the final 'To' section, this cannot be edited by the User manually, but the system will make automatic changes if the User changes the 'From' and 'To' Risk Values within the Criteria. [Mandatory Field]
4. Colour: A 'Colour' is to be selected for each Risk Rating. Click on the 'Colour' box to select from the colour options. [Mandatory Field]
Image: Colour Palette
Tip: We suggest selecting from the fourth or fifth line of colours within the provided colour palette as some colours may be too dark or too light to show the description text in the Records. The fourth line of colours will match the colours of the system default Risk Assessments within other modules. However, if you wish to lighten the colour of your Risk Assessment, please select from the fifth line.
5. Description: A 'Description' for each Risk Rating can be detailed in the open text field, e.g. Acceptable or tolerable risk, Undesirable risk, etc.
6. Significant: Using the Yes/No dropdown, select whether the Risk Rating is significant or not. A Risk Rating that is Significant (Yes) will open a Decision Tree workflow stage of the Food Safety Plan to determine if Monitoring Details are required. A Risk Rating that is Not Significant (No) will not open a Decision Tree workflow stage, the Decision Tree workflow stage will be skipped. [Mandatory Field]
7. X: Click the 'X' button to delete a Risk Rating line.
8. Add Line: Click the 'Add Line' button to create more Risk Rating Outcomes.
Image: Completed Model Details - Risk Rating
Image: Unticked Uncertainty Detail
1. Uncertainty Detail: If you wish to include uncertainty as part of your Matrix-Based Risk Assessment Model, tick the Uncertainty Detail box. Uncertainty is designed to correct the Risk Rating Results based on the quality and accuracy of the data used during the completion of the Risk Criteria. Poor quality data or subjective assessment increases the uncertainty of a Risk Assessment. As mentioned, the Uncertainty Detail is optional, and is not required to be completed. The Uncertainty Detail is generally enabled for Risk Assessment Models that are Criteria-Based and used in Supplier/Materials Assessments, not Matrix-Based Risk Assessment Models used in Food Safety Plans.
Image: Ticked Blank Uncertainty Details
1. Type: Detail the Uncertainty Type name and description within the provided open text field. Ensure sufficient detail is provided to allow the User to identify the correct uncertainty level. For example, you could have uncertainty ranging from ‘None - Based fully on objective data’ to ‘High - No objective data to support rating’.
2. Percentage: Detail the percentage of uncertainty you wish to give to the Uncertainty Type entered. This percentage value will then be added to the Risk Criteria Value in the Risk Assessment - Absence of Control, to account for the increased risk due to gaps in data. The User should assign a high value where there is a high level of uncertainty, e.g. poor quality or no data, and a lower value where the assessment is based on high quality published data, e.g. based fully on objective data.
3. X: Click the 'X' button to delete a line.
4. Add Line: Click 'Add Line' to add as many uncertainty types as required.
Image: Completed Uncertainty Detail
Note: The Uncertainty Detail will always add the percentage of the Max Risk Value of the options within the Risk Criteria.
For example: If the options for the Risk Criteria are Unlikely - Would not expect to happen in 5 years(1), Improbable - would not expect to happen in 2-3 years(2), Likely - Would be expected to occur once per year(3), High Probability - Could occur 2 or 3 times a year(4), A Certainty - Likely to occur at any time(5), if the option of 'Unlikely - Would not expect to happen in 5 years' is selected, along with the Uncertainty of 5%, this will result in 5% of the Max Risk Value 'A Certainty - Likely to occur at any time(5)' being added to the 'Unlikely - Would not expect to happen in 5 years(1)' Risk Value.
Unlikely - Would not expect to happen in 5 years(1) + 5% of A Certainty - Likely to occur at any time(5) = 1.250
Image: Uncertainty Calculation
Image: Example of Uncertainty in Food Safety Plan Risk Assessment
Image: 'Save' and 'Cancel' Buttons
1. Save: Click the 'Save' button to save the Risk Assessment Model.
2. Cancel: Click the 'Cancel' button if you wish to discard the details created and exit back to the Food Safety Plan module.
Add a Criteria-Based Risk Assessment Model (Supplier/Material Assessments)
This section expands on Criteria-Based Risk Assessment Models in contrast to the section above which will expand on Matrix-Based Risk Assessment Models. The Risk Criteria structure is the same for a Matrix-Based Model and a Criteria-Based Model. However, that it is recommended to use at least two Risk Criteria for a Matrix-Based Model.
After opening the Risk Assessment Model page, there are different sections to complete. Some are mandatory while others are optional.
See below the details on the Risk Assessment Model page sections:
Image: Blank Model Details - Name and Folder
1. Name: The 'Name' of the Risk Assessment (RA) Model. This will be the name that appears when selecting the RA Model in a Food Safety Plan, Template or Programme. [Mandatory Field]
2. Folder: Select the folder you would like to save this RA Model within. For ease of selection, it is recommended to group similar RA Models within the same folder, e.g. Supplier Assessments, Materials Assessments, Food Safety Plan, etc.
Image: Completed Model Details - Name and Folder
Image: Blank Model Details - Risk Criteria
The Risk Criteria is where you will define the Criteria that will be assessed during your Risk Assessment. Any number of Criteria can be defined. In a Criteria-Based Model used in Supplier/Material Assessment, generally there will be multiple Criteria.
1. Name: This is the 'Name' or question of the Criterion to be defined. [Mandatory Field]
2. Guidance/Procedure: Documents with guidance data to help the User to complete the Risk Assessment can be selected from the dropdown, e.g. data on high-risk countries. The dropdown comes from the Documents module, therefore the Document needed must be uploaded to Master Data via the Documents module before it can be selected here.
Note: The Guidance/Procedure Document can then be previewed or downloaded while completing the Risk Assessment in the Full Assessment.
Image: 'Preview Document' Button in Full Assessment Risk Assessment Workflow
3. Name: The 'Name' or answers for the Risk Criteria can be detailed within this open text field, e.g. Yes, No, Common, >50,000, Number of Recalls (1), etc. The 'Name' will become the dropdown option called 'Risk Value' to be selected within the Risk Assessment Model in the Supplier/Material Assessments. [Mandatory Field]
4. Risk Value: This is the numerical value of the Risk that corresponds to the Risk 'Name'. The higher the Risk Value, relative to the maximum Risk Value, the higher the risk associated with that Risk Rating. [Mandatory Field]
5. X: Click the 'X' button to delete unwanted lines.
6. Add Line: Click the 'Add Line' button to create more lines to detail more options for the Risk Criteria dropdown.
7. Delete Risk Criteria: Click the 'Delete Risk Criteria' button to delete an entire Risk Criteria section.
8. Add Risk Criteria: Click the 'Add Risk Criteria' button to create more Risk Criteria.
Image: Completed Model Details - Risk Criteria
Image: Model Details - Risk Rating Details
Note: The Risk Rating Details 'Risk Criteria Summary' will populate with the information you have added into the Risk Criteria. Therefore, this section will only be blank when no Risk Criteria have been added.
1. Basis Of Calculation: The required basis of calculation can be selected here, Addition (Criteria-Based Model) or Multiplication (Matrix-Based Model). If 'Addition' is selected, the Max Risk Values will be added. If 'Multiplication' is selected, the Max Risk Values will be multiplied. [Mandatory Field]
2. Category: The 'Name' of each Criteria defined in the Risk Criteria workflow outlined above is gathered in this table automatically by Safefood 360°.
3. Max Risk Value: This displays the maximum possible Risk value within each Criteria and the maximum value of the overall Risk Assessment Model, reflecting the Basis of Calculation.
4. Percentage: This displays the percentage that each Criteria holds within the Risk Assessment Model.
The Risk Rating defines your Risk Assessment Result requirements which will be used in the background of your Risk Assessment calculations.
Image: Blank Model Details - Risk Rating
1. Risk: An open text field to detail the name of the Risk Rating, e.g. High, Medium, Low, etc. [Mandatory Field]
2. From: The 'From' section indicates the figure from which the Risk Rating should be assigned. It is not editable by the User. Safefood 360° will automatically calculate the 'From' values once the 'To' sections have been completed. [Mandatory Field]
3. To: The 'To' section is where the User will define the numerical limits for each Risk Rating. Safefood 360° will automatically calculate the max value within the final 'To' section, this cannot be edited by the User manually, but the system will make automatic changes if the User changes the 'From' and 'To' Risk Values within the Criteria. [Mandatory Field]
4. Colour: A 'Colour' is to be selected for each Risk Rating. Click on the 'Colour' box to select from the colour options. [Mandatory Field]
Image: Colour Palette
Tip: We suggest selecting from the fourth or fifth line of colours within the provided colour palette as some colours may be too dark or too light to show the description text in the Records. The fourth line of colours will match the colours of the system default Risk Assessments within other modules. However, if you wish to lighten the colour of your Risk Assessment, please select from the fifth line.
5. Description: A 'Description' for each Risk Rating can be detailed in the open text field, e.g. are actions or controls required.
6. Significant: Using the Yes/No dropdown, select whether the Risk Rating is significant or not. A Risk Rating that is Significant (Yes) will open a Decision Tree workflow stage (If enabled in the Assessment Template/Programme workflow) to determine if Controls are required. A Risk Rating that is Not Significant (No) will not open a Decision Tree workflow stage, the Decision Tree workflow stage will be skipped.
7. X: Click the 'X' button to delete a Risk Rating line.
8. Add Line: Click the 'Add Line' button to create more Risk Rating Outcomes.
Image: Completed Model Details - Risk Rating
Image: Supply Chain Management Dashboard
Note: If a Risk Rating is noted as 'Significant - Yes', it will be included in the 'Significant Actions' on the Supply Chain Management module dashboards. If a Risk Rating is noted as 'Significant - No', it will not be included in the 'Significant Actions' on the module dashboards.
Image: Unticked Uncertainty Detail
1. Uncertainty Detail: If you wish to include uncertainty as part of your Criteria-Based Risk Assessment Model, tick the Uncertainty Detail box. Uncertainty is designed to correct the Risk Rating Results based on the quality and accuracy of the data used during the completion of the Risk Criteria. Poor quality data or subjective assessment increases the uncertainty of a Risk Assessment. The Uncertainty Detail is optional, and is not required to be completed.
Image: Ticked Blank Uncertainty Details
1. Type: Detail the Uncertainty Type name and description within the provided open text field. Ensure sufficient detail is provided to allow the User to identify the correct uncertainty level. For example, you could have uncertainty ranging from ‘None - Based fully on objective data’ to ‘High - No objective data to support rating’.
2. Percentage: Detail the percentage of uncertainty you wish to give to the Uncertainty Type entered. This percentage value will then be added to the Risk Criteria Value in the Risk Assessment, to account for the increased risk due to gaps in data. The User should assign a high value where there is a high level of uncertainty, e.g. poor quality or no data, and a lower value where the assessment is based on high quality published data, e.g. based fully on objective data.
3. X: Click the 'X' button to delete a line.
4. Add Line: Click 'Add Line' to add as many uncertainty types as required.
Image: Completed Uncertainty Detail
Note: The Uncertainty Detail will always add the percentage of the Max Risk Value of the options within the Risk Criteria.
For example: If the options for the Risk Criteria are Pass(0), Monitor(20) and Fail(50), if the option of Pass is selected, along with the Uncertainty of 5%, this will result in 5% of the Max Risk Value 'Fail(50)' being added to the Pass(0) Risk Value.
Pass(0) + 5% of Fail(50) = 2.5
Image: Uncertainty Calculation
Image: Example of Uncertainty in Food Safety Plan Risk Assessment
Image: 'Save' and 'Cancel' Buttons
1. Save: Click the 'Save' button to save the Risk Assessment Model.
2. Cancel: Click the 'Cancel' button if you wish to discard the details created and exit back to the Food Safety Plan module.
Editing a Risk Assessment Model
Warning: A Risk Assessment Model can be edited. However, the changes made to the Risk Assessment Model will only be seen in newly added Programmes, Records, or Hazard Analysis workflows in Food Safety Plans. Any Programmes, Records, or Hazard Analysis workflows in Food Safety Plans completed before the edits to the Risk Assessment Model were made will not have the reflected changes. Ensure that you are happy with your Risk Assessment Model before you continue to build your Programmes, Records, or Hazard Analysis workflows in Food Safety Plans.
Image: 'Actions>Edit' Button
Image: Make Changes to Risk Assessment
Image: Click 'Save' to Save Changes Made
Image: Reason for Change Pop Up
Image: Click 'Confirm' to Confirm Reasons for Change
Image: Actions>Audit Log to View Edit Details
Image: Risk Assessment Audit Log Details
Changing Module Default Risk Assessment Models
There are module default Risk Assessment Models (RAM) in Safefood 360°. However, these Risk Assessment Models can be changed to a Risk Assessment Model that you have built that is more suited to your requirements. However, we cannot simply select the Risk Assessment within the module as we do within the Food Safety Plans or Supply Chain Full Assessments. A ticket must be sent to the Support Team via the 'Help' button to request the Support Team to change the module default Risk Assessment Model to our newly built Risk Assessment Model.
Warning: When the Support Team have confirmed that the Risk Assessment Model has been changed within the module, only new Programmes and Records will contain the newly changed Risk Assessment. All Programmes and Records created before the Risk Assessment Model change will contain the old Risk Assessment.
Steps to Request a Module Default Risk Assessment Change
1. Build your Risk Assessment within the Food Safety Module, see the articles above on information on adding a Risk Assessment Model (Matrix-Based and Criteria-Based)
2. Once you have 'Saved' your Risk Assessment Model, using the 'Help' button send a ticket to the Support Team requesting them to change the default Risk Assessment in the module to the Risk Assessment you have just built.
3. Once you have 'Sent' your Ticket, a ticket will be logged with the Support Team. You will receive an email to confirm your ticket submission.
4. The Support Team will respond to your ticket via email once the Risk Assessment Model change has been completed.
5. Once the Risk Assessment Model change has been confirmed by the Support Team, you are free to add new Programmes and Records using the new Risk Assessment Model.
Image: Clicking Help on Saved Risk Assessment
Image: Contact Us Pop Up to Detail Ticket Request
Image: Click 'Send' Button to Log Ticket
Examples of Module Default Risk Assessment Changes
Below are examples of some module default Risk Assessment Models that you may want to change within your Safefood 360° site.
Image: Corrective Action Module Default Risk Assessment, Probability x Severity
Image: Module Default Risk Assessment Changed to Customised Risk Assessment, Category (Recommendation, Minor, Major, Critical)
Image: Risk Assessment Model for Corrective Action Module
Image: Audit Module Default Risk Assessment, Risk (None, Low, Medium, High)
Image: Module Default Risk Assessment Changed to Customised Risk Assessment, Probability x Severity
Image: Risk Assessment Model for Audit Module
Image: Recall/Withdrawal Module Default Risk Assessment, Probability x Severity
Image: Module Default Risk Assessment Changed to Customised Risk Assessment, Recall Class (Class I, Class II, Class III, Mock Recall)
Image: Risk Assessment Model for Recall/Withdrawal Module
