# Manage Workplace Hazards The [**Hazards**](https://app.rtosafe.com.au/Hazards) register tracks unsafe conditions from the moment someone spots them until they're dealt with. Reports come from staff in the Staff Portal, or from admins who select **Report Hazard**. Each hazard tracks two things: where your review is up to, and whether the hazard is still there. A hazard is `Controlled` when a control is in place but the hazard remains, and `Eliminated` when it's gone.
A newly reported hazard, with the Start Review and Assign buttons, the checklist of what's needed before it can be closed, and the hazard shown as Uncontrolled
*** ## Steps
1
**Start the review** Open the hazard and select **Start Review**.
2
**Assess it and assign an owner** Select **Assign** to choose who owns it. Then select **Update Assessment** to set the category and **Potential severity**: how bad it could be, not how bad it was.
3
**Deal with it** Use **Add** in the **Actions** section to create or link a **Task** for the work needed, such as a repair or a purchase. When the work is done, update **Control status**: * `Eliminated`: the hazard is gone. Record what removed it. * `Controlled`: the hazard is still there, but a control manages it. Link it to a risk on your [risk register](/help/risk-register-setup), where the control has an owner and a review date.
4
**Close the hazard** The checklist on the hazard shows what's left. When everything is in place, select **Close Hazard**.
*** ## What Happens Next * The hazard moves to the **Closed** tab. Use **Reopen** from the menu to change it later. Closed hazards can't be edited or relinked. * For a controlled hazard, the linked risk carries on. Its reviews come up on the risk register, so the control keeps being checked. * Hazards assigned to you appear in [My work](/help/my-work). * If someone was hurt or there was a dangerous event, log it in [Incidents](/help/incidents) as well. *** ## Common Issues
Why can't I close a hazard? Every hazard needs a category and potential severity. After that, it depends on Control status. An Uncontrolled hazard can't be closed. An Eliminated hazard needs a note on what removed it. A Controlled hazard needs a linked risk.
Why doesn't the linked risk count as a control? The risk you linked is still a draft, or it has no active control. Open the risk, select Make active, and link an active control. Then come back and close the hazard.