Configuring a Risk Matrix
Configuring Risk Matrix settings within the SLM Global Module allows organisations to standardise how process hazards are assessed across their sites. By defining severity classes, likelihood values and risk rankings, organisations ensure every Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), HAZOP and LOPA study uses a consistent approach to risk evaluation. This guidance is based on the Global Module training transcript while expanding the concepts into a practical implementation guide.
The Risk Matrix becomes the foundation for dynamic risk reporting throughout SLM. As studies are completed, scenarios automatically populate the Dynamic Risk Matrix, allowing teams to visualise risk exposure, prioritise mitigation activities and monitor barrier performance across the organisation.
This guide explains how to configure the Risk Matrix, apply enterprise standards, synchronise configurations across sites and understand how the configured matrix is used during live PHA studies.
What is Configuring a Risk Matrix?
Configuring Risk Matrix settings in the SLM Global Module establishes the corporate standard for evaluating process safety risks across your organisation.
The configuration determines how hazardous scenarios are assessed by defining:
- Severity classifications
- Severity levels
- Likelihood values
- Risk ranking values
- Risk matrix colours
- Target mitigated likelihood requirements
Once configured, these definitions become available throughout SLM, allowing HAZOP, LOPA and Hazard studies to classify scenarios consistently while automatically populating the Dynamic Risk Matrix.
Enterprise administrators typically configure the Risk Matrix centrally before synchronising it to individual sites where a common corporate standard is required.
To understand how enterprise-wide configuration is managed, see the System Module Global Configuration guide.
If your organisation uses the complete enterprise configuration environment, the SLM Global Module provides the tools required to administer these standards.
Defining Severity Classes
The first stage of Configuring Risk Matrix settings is defining the severity classifications that represent the types of consequences assessed by your organisation.
Most organisations create classifications such as:
- Personnel safety
- Environmental impact
- Commercial loss
- Reputational impact
- Asset damage
- Regulatory compliance
Each severity class contains its own set of severity levels, allowing different consequence types to be evaluated independently while using the same corporate methodology.
When designing severity classes, organisations should consider whether the same standards apply across every facility or whether individual operating sites require their own classifications.
Maintaining consistent enterprise standards simplifies reporting and ensures comparable risk assessments across all Process Hazard Analyses.
Configuring Severity Levels
After defining severity classes, administrators configure the individual severity levels that make up each classification.
For every severity class, users define:
- Severity level
- Display order
- Short description
- Long description
- Target mitigated event likelihood
- Colour scheme
- Whether additional LOPA analysis is required
If your organisation operates a 5 × 5 Risk Matrix, each severity classification should contain five clearly defined severity levels. Consistent definitions help study teams classify scenarios accurately and improve reporting consistency throughout SLM.
These values become selectable during HAZOP and Hazard studies, ensuring every scenario is evaluated against the same corporate risk criteria.
Configuring Likelihood Values
Likelihood values form the second dimension of the Risk Matrix and determine how frequently hazardous events are expected to occur.
For each likelihood value, administrators typically define:
- Display order
- Short description
- Long description
- Minimum probability
- Maximum probability
- Initiating cause likelihood
Clearly defined likelihood ranges improve consistency between study teams and ensure hazardous scenarios are classified using objective probability thresholds rather than subjective judgement.
When combined with severity levels, these likelihood values provide the framework used to calculate the overall corporate risk ranking for every hazardous scenario.
Determining Risk Ranking Values
After configuring severity levels and likelihood values, the final step is defining how each combination is translated into an overall risk ranking.
SLM automatically generates every possible combination of severity and likelihood. Administrators simply assign:
- Risk ranking value
- Background colour
- Foreground text colour
- Corporate risk classification
Using consistent colours throughout the Risk Matrix allows users to quickly identify low, medium and high-risk scenarios during Process Hazard Analyses.
Many organisations use standard corporate colour schemes and reuse hexadecimal colour values to maintain consistency across every risk ranking.
Once configured, these rankings are automatically applied whenever users classify hazardous scenarios within HAZOP and Hazard studies.
Enterprise and Site Risk Matrix Configuration
One of the advantages of the SLM Global Module is the ability to configure Risk Matrices at different organisational levels.
Organisations may choose to:
- Create one enterprise-wide Risk Matrix.
- Synchronise that Risk Matrix to every operating site.
- Allow selected facilities to maintain their own local Risk Matrix.
Where a common corporate standard exists, administrators can configure the Risk Matrix once at the Enterprise object before synchronising it to every Site object. This significantly reduces administration while ensuring consistent risk assessments throughout the organisation.
If individual facilities require unique corporate standards, site-specific Risk Matrices can be maintained independently without affecting other locations.
For more information about enterprise administration, see the System Module Global Configuration guide.
You can also learn how organisation-wide settings are managed in the Global Personnel Configuration guide.
Using the Dynamic Risk Matrix
Once Configuring a Risk Matrix has been completed, the configuration is used automatically throughout SLM.
During HAZOP and Hazard studies, users select predefined likelihood values and severity levels for each hazardous scenario. SLM then automatically calculates:
- Risk ranking
- Target mitigated likelihood
- Corporate colour coding
- Dynamic Risk Matrix placement
Managers can then open the Dynamic Risk Matrix to visualise every scenario across a unit, plant or site.
Selecting any cell within the matrix immediately displays the scenarios contributing to that risk ranking, allowing engineers to drill directly into studies, review recommendations and prioritise mitigation activities.
This provides a continuously updated view of operational risk as Process Hazard Analyses are completed and maintained.
Best Practices for Configuring a Risk Matrix
Successful Risk Matrix implementation depends on consistency, governance and clear corporate standards.
- Standardise severity classifications across the organisation.
- Use clearly defined likelihood probability ranges.
- Maintain consistent colour schemes.
- Synchronise enterprise standards where appropriate.
- Review Risk Matrix definitions periodically.
- Ensure all PHA teams use the same configuration.
- Document any site-specific variations.
Following these practices improves reporting quality, simplifies comparison between facilities and provides more reliable information for risk-based decision making.
To learn more about configuring organisation-wide standards, visit the SLM Global Module page.
For recognised guidance on risk assessment principles, visit the AIChE Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS).
