Which term defines the level of potential harm?

• A. Risk
• B. Likelihood
• C. Severity
• D. Holding Principle

Answer: (C)

Severity is used to describe how serious the harm could be if a crisis escalates. It focuses on the potential consequences—ranging from minor injury to significant harm—so responders know how severe the outcome might be and tailor safety actions accordingly. Likelihood, by contrast, refers to how probable it is that the harm will occur, not how bad it could be. Risk mixes both factors to estimate overall danger, but the term that defines the level of potential harm itself is severity. The holding principle isn’t used to measure potential harm; it relates to safety practices during intervention rather than how severe the potential harm could be.