Explanation
In a risk matrix likelihood is on one axis and consequence on the other. Where they meet, you read off the risk level, usually in colours: green for low, yellow or orange for medium, red for high. That shows at a glance which risks to tackle first.
You use a risk matrix in a risk assessment, a TRA, an incident review or a risk register. Each organisation decides for itself what a small or large likelihood is, what a light or severe consequence means and which measures belong to each colour. Without those agreements everyone scores differently.
The matrix is simpler than the Kinney method, which also weighs exposure and works with numbers. Simplicity is its strength, but also its limit: a matrix says nothing about how often people are exposed to the hazard. A score remains an estimate that you test with more people.
Example from practice
A fall from height rarely happens, but the consequence is severe. In the matrix that lands in a high class, so you act on it even though it does not occur often.
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