--- title: Difference Between Threat and Hazard in Safety Management description: Learn what a threat is in aviation SMS, and how a threat and hazard are both similar and different. image: https://aviationsafetyblog.asms-pro.com/hubfs/images/Blog_Images/Difference-between-Threat-and-HAZARD-in-Safety-Management.png --- [+1.907.227.1676](tel:907-227-1676) [![SMS Pro](https://aviationsafetyblog.asms-pro.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/SMSProLogo.jpg?width=200&height=38&name=SMSProLogo.jpg "SMS Pro")](https://www.asms-pro.com/) - [SMS](https://www.asms-pro.com/SMS.aspx) - [Products](https://www.asms-pro.com/Products.aspx) - [Pricing](https://www.asms-pro.com/Pricing.aspx) - [Reviews](https://www.asms-pro.com/Reviews.aspx) - [Industries](https://www.asms-pro.com/Industries.aspx) - [Blog](https://aviationsafetyblog.asms-pro.com/blog) - [Safety Risk Management](https://aviationsafetyblog.asms-pro.com/blog/topic/2-safety-risk-management) - [Safety Assurance](https://aviationsafetyblog.asms-pro.com/blog/topic/3-safety-assurance) - [Safety Promotion](https://aviationsafetyblog.asms-pro.com/blog/topic/4-safety-promotion) - [Risk Management Software](https://aviationsafetyblog.asms-pro.com/blog/topic/risk-management-software) - [Aviation SMS Database](https://aviationsafetyblog.asms-pro.com/blog/topic/aviation-sms-database) - [Aviation SMS Implementation](https://aviationsafetyblog.asms-pro.com/blog/topic/aviation-sms-implementation) - [Safety Policy](https://aviationsafetyblog.asms-pro.com/blog/topic/1-safety-policy) - [Training](https://www.asms-pro.com/Training.aspx) - [About Us](https://www.asms-pro.com/AboutUs.aspx) - [Contact](https://aviationsmsinfo.asms-pro.com/contact-aviation-sms-software-providers) - [Why Coose SMS Pro](https://www.asms-pro.com/AboutUs/WhychooseSMSPro.aspx) - [Scholarship](https://www.asms-pro.com/AboutUs/Scholarship.aspx) - [Demos](https://www.asms-pro.com/Demos.aspx) # Enhancing Aviation Safety: Expert Insights, Tips, and Updates from SMS-Pro # Difference Between Threat and Hazard in Safety Management Posted by [Stu Martin](https://aviationsafetyblog.asms-pro.com/blog/author/stu-martin) on Nov 30, 2022, 4:23:00 AM ![](https://aviationsafetyblog.asms-pro.com/hubfs/images/stu.jpg) Find me on: [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stusmspro/) [Twitter](https://x.com/SMS_Pro) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ## What Is a Hazard ![Difference Between Threat and Hazard](https://aviationsafetyblog.asms-pro.com/hubfs/images/Blog_Images/Difference-between-Threat-and-HAZARD-in-Safety-Management.png) A [hazard in safety management](https://aviationsafetyblog.asms-pro.com/blog/what-is-a-hazard-in-safety-management-systems) is a condition that poses a danger to your organization, and can lead to an accident, incident, or another mishap if not mitigates. A hazard satisfies ALL of the following conditions: - **Is a dangerous condition,** such as an object, situation, circumstance, that **poses an [unacceptable level of danger](https://aviationsafetyblog.asms-pro.com/blog/how-to-define-acceptable-level-of-safety-alos-in-aviation-safety)**; - **Occurs once** in the safety mishap lifecycle; - **Can lead directly to risk occurrence** (i.e., safety mishap, accident, etc.) if not mitigated; and - **Arise from hazard mechanisms**, such as initiating actions and hazardous sources. Though it is sometimes confused as other things, such as below, a hazard is ***NOT***: - Benign objects (birds, mountains, people), which are hazardous sources; - Safety mishaps, which are another way of saying risk occurrences; - Damages, which are a product of risk occurrence; and - Dangerous actions, which are associated with initiating mechanisms. The only disagreement may be on what constitutes a “dangerous” situation. We advise you to seek guidance from your compliance authority on this point. ## Two Types of Threats Two types of threats are used differently in different contexts. They are: - General threats: the amount of danger in a given circumstance; and - Specific threats: a specific object, situation, behavior, etc., that corresponds to a rising level of danger within a given context. ## What Is a General Threat One type of threat is a **general threat,** which refers to the amount of danger in a given circumstance. It is used in the context of “threat level,” such as: - “There is no inherent threat in operations right now”; or - “Given our current ERP, how much threat does a fire emergency pose?”; or - “Terrorism is a \[specific\] threat that poses a great \[general\] threat to aviation.” ## What Is a Specific Threat A threat can also be a generic term for a specific danger, such as an object, situation, behavior, etc. A specific danger can be identified as: - Contributing to rising danger – such as a hazardous source or contributing factor; or - Representing actualized danger – such as a hazard occurrence. Some examples are: - “In springtime, migrating birds are a threat we have to mitigate”; - “That moose is no threat because he cannot get over the perimeter fence”; or - “We have no plan for a bomb threat in our ERP.” ## Difference Between Hazard and Threat Sometimes, hazard and threat might be used interchangeably. Consider the example of a flock of birds flying close to an aircraft. This flock is both a hazard and a threat. However, because the concept of a threat is vaguer than the concept of a hazard, a threat is not always a hazard. Consider the example of: - migrating birds, which are a hazardous source but not an actual hazard, or - fatigue, which is a contributing factor. #### **Related Aviation Hazard and Threat Articles** - [The Internal Aviation SMS Threat: Plan Continuation Bias](https://aviationsafetyblog.asms-pro.com/blog/the-internal-aviation-sms-threat-plan-continuation-bias) - [How to Identify Hazards and Assess Risks in Aviation SMS - With Free Resources](https://aviationsafetyblog.asms-pro.com/blog/how-to-identify-hazards-and-assess-risks-in-aviation-sms-programs) - [What Are Hazard Risk Assessment and Hazard Risk Analysis in Aviation SMS](https://aviationsafetyblog.asms-pro.com/blog/difference-between-hazard-risk-assessment-and-hazard-risk-analysis) **The takeaway here is that a hazard occurs (is “actualized”) when your operations interact with hazard sources. A threat is simply a generic way to describe danger, whether the danger has been actualized or not.** [![Download Free Hazard and Risk Assessment Tests](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/543594/02f213fd-49db-4b92-82dc-f859cebf3c70.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/543594/02f213fd-49db-4b92-82dc-f859cebf3c70) Last updated September 2026. Topics: [2-Safety Risk Management](https://aviationsafetyblog.asms-pro.com/blog/topic/2-safety-risk-management) Site content provided by Northwest Data Solutions is meant for informational purposes only. 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