Risk-based concepts are everywhere. Most decisions we make—knowingly or not—are based on assessing the probability of an outcome or risk. Sometimes the potential outcomes of a decision are clear; sometimes it takes considerable analysis to draw conclusions regarding potential outcomes (i.e., what could go wrong?) and the likelihood and severity of those outcomes (i.e., how bad could it be?).

When it comes to environmental, health, and safety (EHS), it takes significant scientific knowledge, deep understanding of exposure, and a systematic process (i.e., an environmental risk assessment) to identify and evaluate risks and then make decisions on how to mitigate, manage, or remove them. We recently sat down with KTL Senior Consultant and risk expert Margaret Roy to talk more about the concept of risk and risk assessments.

Q: What is a risk assessment?

A: Risk assessment is a general term that summarizes an approach to identify uncertainties (i.e., risk), rate or gage the magnitude of the risk(s), and then develop a strategy to manage or reduce those risks. Managing risk is about managing uncertainties.

For example, you may choose to wait a few days to drive through a mountain pass that is expected to receive snow. You may or may not get stuck or involved in a car accident—it is uncertain—but you reduce your risk of an incident by waiting until after the storm and the roads have been cleared. In this case, a simple risk assessment was completed to manage the uncertainties associated with driving through a snowy mountain pass. Other management strategies could have been to take an alternate route or to drive a vehicle better suited for snowy conditions.

Q: What is an environmental risk assessment?

A: An environmental risk assessment characterizes the nature and magnitude of health risks to humans and ecological receptors from stressors (i.e., physical, chemical, or biological) that may be present in environmental media such as soil, drinking water, or air.

We are exposed to a variety of chemicals (e.g., that new car smell) and biological agents (e.g., the common cold) every day, and health-based risk assessments help manage what and how much we are exposed to. Human health risk assessments address questions such as:

• What types of health problems may be caused by an agent (like a chemical or radiation)?
• What is the chance that people will experience health problems when exposed to different levels of these agents?
• What is a “safe” level?
• Who is being exposed (children, the elderly)?

Ecological risk assessments ask the same questions as human health risk assessments, but for an ecosystem. Ecological risk assessments address questions such as:

• Would metals in a stream near an old abandoned mine damage the population of fish in the stream? If the fish population is impacted, what about the birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians that may live near the stream?
• Can the application of an insecticide harm an endangered bird species?
• What are the long-term effects on the ecosystem in a bay following the accidental release of oil from a tanker?

Q: What do environmental risk assessments evaluate?

A: Whether focused on human health or ecological impacts, at its core, an environmental risk assessment is exposure analysis—who is exposed to what, where, and how much? Everything has the potential to be poison; what makes the difference is the exposure or dose. Think about water consumption as an example. Drinking water is a healthy habit; however, too much water (gallons of water in an hour) can lead to water intoxication, which can result in negative health impacts or even death. The dose is what makes the poison.

For there to be negative health impacts, there need to be three key elements present. Together, these elements create a complete exposure pathway:

1. Stressor. Environmental risk assessments generally consider chemicals such as benzene and acetone, as well as inorganics like mercury or arsenic.  
2. Exposure. A person or animal ingests or inhales the chemical, or it is absorbed through the skin.
3. Toxic Effect. The recipient experiences some sort of negative impact or toxic effect.

For example, we can ingest water without any ill effects, but past a certain amount, electrolytes in your body go out of balance. For lead, exposure to a child over time can lead to developmental and lifelong health issues.

Q: What is the process for conducting an environmental risk assessment?

A: The process for conducting an environmental risk assessment has been developed by the scientific community over the past 60 years. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and many states publish guidance documents and analyses of chemical toxicity that are applied using the following process:

1. Define the Problem: What are the chemicals, where are the chemicals (e.g., drinking water, air), what are the concentrations of the chemicals?
2. Quantify the Exposure: Who is being exposed? For example, is it a residential community, a worker, or bird in a forest?
3. Calculate the risk: Risk is defined by comparing the exposure dose to a safe concentration.

Risk assessment is much more than just a number. As part of the risk assessment, risk characterization must consider multiple variables, and then apply a big dose of common sense: Who is exposed, is it a vulnerable group like children? How do the chemicals move in the environment or change in our bodies? Are some of the assumptions used in developing the risk assessment overly conservative given the site conditions (e.g., does a bird really live on the site its whole life and consume only earthworms?)? Risk characterization is a very thoughtful process that considers the big picture of the risk assessment.

Q: How certain are the results of an environmental risk assessment?

It is important to note that all risk assessments carry some level of uncertainty, as risk assessors must often estimate exposure, use their own experience and judgment, and rely on scientific research to calculate risks. This is why it is important that the risk assessor have substantial knowledge and understanding of exposure in a variety of technical areas, including:

• Ecology
• Toxicology/ecotoxicology
• Analytical chemistry
• Soil/sediment
• Geology/hydrogeology
• Surface water/groundwater modeling
• Demographics/population biology
• Statistics
• Communication
• COMMON SENSE 

Good risk assessments discuss data gaps and other limitations in models and assumptions used to estimate exposures. Note that because of the inherent uncertainties, risk assessment is often an iterative process that involves screening initial information, identifying gaps, refining the scope of the assessment, and then collecting and assessing additional data.

Q: How are risk assessment results used?

A: Put simply, risk assessment informs risk management decisions. Risk management integrates the results of the risk assessment with other considerations (e.g., economic implications, legal concerns) to determine what risk reduction/management activities should be implemented. Importantly, risk assessment/management pays particular attention to connections. What is all connected? Where is the contaminant traveling? How does one decision to manage risk impact the rest of the supply chain or ecosystem?

There are many different ways risk assessment is used, including the following:

• Evaluating the likelihood that observed effects are caused by past or ongoing exposure to specific stressors and then predicting the likelihood of future effects.
• Supporting many types of actions, including:
  • Regulating hazardous waste sites, industrial chemicals, and pesticides.
  • Reusing property and material (e.g., soil, gray water, brownfield sites).
  • Protecting ecosystems from chemical, physical, or biological stressors.
  • Setting environmental limits for chemicals.
  • Conducting Superfund site remediation.
• Providing information to risk managers that can be used to:
  • Communicate with interested parties.
  • Limit exposure to the ecological stressor.
  • Negotiate remediation options with stakeholders (e.g., brownfields sites).
  • Develop monitoring plans to confirm risk reduction and ecosystem recovery.

Q: How do I know if I need an environmental risk assessment and how do I proceed?

Environmental risk assessments are often driven by regulatory programs. For example, if you own a gas station and you have a leaking unground storage tank (LUST), then your company may enter a state’s LUST program. The risk assessor would help figure out where to sample to understand how far the contamination has traveled, who may be exposed, and how much soil should be remediated or removed to mitigate the risks. There is a risk that gasoline could leach down to the groundwater. If the groundwater is a drinking water source, then many people could be exposed. Removing the soil may be the best way to mitigate the risk to groundwater.

Risk assessment, in general, is also a tool that can—and should—be used to evaluate the risks associated with business decisions. For example, a local farm has access to an irrigation well, but the groundwater is known to have low levels of solvent. Risk assessment could be applied to assess whether the irrigation water is safe for the workers to be directly exposed to, but also if the water is safe to use on the agricultural crops. The assumptions used in the exposure analysis could be tailored specifically to the conditions at the local farm so the best decisions on use of the irrigation water can be made.

Risk assessment is a strategy that can be applied to all sorts of different businesses and industries, but conducting a health-based risk assessment requires specialized expertise. Bringing in a risk expert is prudent to help ensure that the entire exposure pathway is evaluated and the most effective risk management solutions can be identified and implemented.

Join KTL at one of the premier events in the food industry–the 2025 Food Safety Summit. The Summit offers a unique opportunity for attendees to learn real-world solutions from leaders in food safety and stay informed on the latest food safety trends, innovations, emerging challenges, and more.

• When: May 12-15, 2025
• Where: Donald Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Illinois
• Who: Retailers, food processors, distributors, food manufacturers, growers, food service, testing laboratories, importing/exporting, law firms, and other food safety professionals
• Find KTL: Stop by our booth (#408) in the exhibit hall!

Tech Tent Case Study Presentation

Be sure to also update your agenda to attend KTL’s Tech Tent presentation on Wednesday, May 14 at 11:15 am CT:

Case Study: Using Microsoft SharePoint® and the Power Platform to Manage Food Safety Programs

Building a food safety system doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive—not when most companies already have the software they need. See how KTL helps food companies build dynamic data management tools to collect, track, and report food safety compliance information. This presentation will highlight our standard modules and most used tools and templates, including:

• Inspections and Monitoring
• Corrective Actions
• Task Management
• Preventive Maintenance
• Supplier Management
• Document Control
• Records Management
• Data Tracking and Trending
• Reporting Dashboards

Join KTL to see these modules in practice and learn from experts with food safety and IT expertise how your company can benefit from this approach.

Traceability has been a hot issue for most food companies since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) passed the final Food Traceability Rule in November 2022, especially with the original January 2026 compliance deadline approaching. However, food companies will likely have extra time to prepare, as the FDA announced on March 20, 2025 its intention to extend the compliance date for the Food Traceability Rule by 30 months.

Additional Time

KTL originally reported in our Top Food Trends for 2025 article of speculation that this deadline could be delayed due to a provision in the current draft House appropriations bill that would prohibit funding for implementation, administration, or enforcement of these regulations. According to FDA, “The compliance date extension affords covered entities the additional time necessary to ensure complete coordination across the supply chain in order to fully implement the final rule’s requirements—ultimately providing FDA and consumers with greater transparency and food safety.”

The FDA is planning to follow appropriate procedures and publish a proposed rule to extend the compliance date at a later time to be determined. The Agency remains committed to implementing the full requirements of the final rule but giving industry additional time to comply and itself time to provide additional technical assistance, tools, and other resources to assist industry. 

Stay the Course

Regardless of the compliance deadline, organizations should continue working on their traceability systems and programs. This includes performing traceability exercises to help identify gaps, testing protocols and verifying effectiveness, implementing corrective actions, and ensuring adequate traceability processes are in place. Investing in a good technology solution that integrates with the food safety management system (FSMS) will help to further streamline the process.

The Food + Beverage Environmental Conference (FBEC) is the premier and most comprehensive environmental event for the food and beverage industry in the U.S., focusing on the latest trends and innovations affecting sustainability, water resource management, supply chain, air quality, environmental compliance, and much more. 

When: March 31 – April 3, 2025
Where: Rennaissance Downtown Phoenix
Who: Environmental professionasl in any business related to the food and beverage industry 

Poster Presentation

Be sure to stop by and see the KTL and Ventura Foods poster at the Poster Session & Social Hour on Thursday, April 3 at 5:00 pm: Using Existing Software to Build the Ventura Foods EMS. We will talking about how Ventura Foods built and implemented an ISO 14001 EMS to meet customer requirements with limited resources.

Consultant Meghan Stenslien has become KTL’s newest Certified Environmental Auditor (CEA). Meghan has completed all experience and eligibility requirements—including recently passing the rigorous National Registry of Environmental Professionals (NREP) CEA exam. The CEA certification is a specialty certification program intended for professionals conducting environmental compliance and risk audits of operating facilities, related equipment and ongoing procedures.

Meghan is a Consultant with a diverse background in food safety; quality; and environmental, health, and safety (EHS) compliance. She has conducted routine environmental, safety, quality, and food safety environmental audits and facility assessments and designed programs, policies, and procedures to effectively manage requirements to help ensure regulatory compliance. In addition to her CEA certification, Meghan is a certified ISO 45001 (safety) and 14001 (environment) Lead Auditor, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) Green Tier Auditor, R2 certified Lead Auditor, and HACCP certified. 

NREP is widely considered to be the foremost not-for-profit organization in the environmental and safety industry. Earning a CEA certification demonstrates the highest level of knowledge, experience, and education in the environmental field. 

KTL is pleased to welcome the following new Consultants to our team!

Margaret Roy, Senior Consultant

Margaret is an expert risk assessor who specializes in conducting ecological and health-based risk assessments ranging from screening level to complex baseline assessments under a variety of state and EPA programs. She has been providing risk assessment subject matter expertise to KTL for years as an LTE, and we are thrilled to have her join the team as a Senior Consultant. Margaret applies her experience to help clients design sampling plans, identify technical data gaps, and develop overall project strategy. Margaret is a Diplomate in the International Board of Environmental Risk Assessors (IBERA), as well as a member of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) and Association for Environmental Health and Science (AEHS). She is based in Austin, TX. Read her full bio…

mroy@goktl.com | 512.913.5142

Connor Odekirk, Consultant

Connor is a food safety and quality assurance (FSQA) professional with five years of experience working in various capacities in the food industry, including restaurants, cattle ranches, farming operations, and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-inspected meat processing plants. Connor excels at managing sanitation and maintenance programs to maintain corporate and regulatory standards. He further has experience developing training and educational curriculum. He is based in Charleston, WV. Read his full bio…

codekirk@goktl.com | 304.545.5555

KTL will be joining the technical program of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) North America 45th Annual Meeting October 20-24, 2024 in Forth Worth, TX. SETAC is dedicated to advancing environmental science and science-informed decision-making through collaboration, communication, eductaion, and leadership.

KTL Senior Consultant Margaret Roy will be co-chairing Session 6.04.T – Risk Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration: Applying Interdisciplinary Approaches to Creating Successful Remediation and Restoration Projects on Wednesday, October 23 from 10:00am – 12:00pm.

In addition, KTL is co-author to the following poster, which will be on exhibit all day on Monday, October 21:

Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment of the Herbicide Flumioxazin for the U.S. Forest Service
5.12.P-Mo-160 | Presenters: Julie Rothrock, SRC, Inc.; Margaret Roy, KTL; and Dan Tekiela, U.S. Forest Service

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS) is responsible for protecting and managing natural resources on National Forest System lands. Pesticides are one tool used by the FS to prevent, control, or manage forest insects, diseases, and invasive plants. When considering the use of a pesticide on forest lands, the FS conducts a human health and ecological risk assessment (HHERA) to evaluate risk to FS personnel, the public, and the environment, and to then make decisions regarding specific applications of pesticides on forest lands throughout the U.S. This poster presentation outlines the process for conducting theHHERA for the herbicide flumioxazin to estimate the nature and degree of potential risks, both human health and environmental, associated with its use in FS vegetation management programs. 

Location: Chicago, Illinois or St. Lous, Missouri

KTL is seeking an experienced Safety Consultant based in the Chicago, IL or St. Louis, MO metropolitan area with a strong safety compliance background working as a consultant or in industry to join our team. This individual will have knowledge of general industry safety procedures and Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) requirements. The Safety Consultant will have experience auditing, developing, and implementing OSHA safety programs in an industrial setting, and expertise helping organizations proactively manage their operational safety-related risks.

Responsibilities and tasks include the following:

• Conducting OSHA compliance audits in general industrial settings.
• Researching federal, state, and local regulatory requirements and helping maintain standards.
• Effectively managing and building client relationships, leading to repeat business.
• Developing and delivering training and coaching on safety.
• Performing site safety assessments, conducting incident investigation/root cause analysis, and implementing follow-up corrective actions.
• Working with a team to assess, design, implement, and audit safety management systems and related programs.
• Designing safety performance metrics to drive continual improvement.
• Applying quality and process improvement methods and tools.
• Writing technical reports, work plans, and proposals.
• Supporting other KTL professionals to effectively manage and deliver projects.
• Managing tasks remotely and at client sites.

Requirements

• B.S. degree in Environmental Science, Engineering, or Occupational Safety preferred.
• 5-10 years of consulting or relevant experience working in safety for industry/manufacturing.
• Associate Safety Professional (ASP) or Certified Safety Professional (CSP) preferred.
• Recent experience conducting safety audits.
• Strong knowledge of OSHA safety standards and programs.
• Experience with environmental compliance preferred.
• Experience in healthcare preferred.
• Previous project management experience and ability to manage multiple projects and clients.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
• Excellent research, analytical, writing, and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently and as a part of a team.
• Proficient in Microsoft 365 software.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Ability to travel up to 50%.

How to Apply

Forward a resume to recruiting@goktl.com.

Company Description

KTL is a multidisciplinary consulting firm that specializes in providing environmental, health, and safety (EHS); food safety; and quality management and compliance consulting services to industry and government clients. Our primary focus is to build strong, long-term client partnerships and provide tailored solutions to address regulatory compliance requirements. KTL’s services include auditing and assessments, management system development and implementation, certification support, regulatory compliance assistance, information management solutions, and training. Our headquarters are in Madison, WI and Atlanta, GA, with satellite offices throughout the U.S.

KTL is excited to be joining the 2024 Food Safety Consortium in Washington, DC, October 20-24, 2024. The 13th Annual Food Safety Consortium provides food safety and quality assurance professionals with cutting-edge knowledge, practical skills, and a collaborative network to enhance their professional development as champions of food safety.

KTL will be leading the following breakout session as part of the workshop’s technical agenda:

The Big Secret…You already have the software you need to manage food safety
October 22, 2024 | 8:30-9:15 am | Presenter: Roberto Bellavia, Senior Consultant and Partner

This session will demonstrate how food companies are leveraging Microsoft Power Platform with SharePoint® to elevate the food safety management systems (FSMS) and more effectively manage food safety compliance documentation, data, and certification requirements.

And be sure to stop by and visit us at Booth #11. We look forward to seeing you at the Food Safety Consortium!

Look for KTL October 15-17, 2024 at UW-Madison’s 36th Annual Product Liability Conference in Madison, WI. The Conference presents current and emerging product liability prevention practices. KTL will be leading the following session as part of the Conference agenda:

Creating a Safety Culture: Tools and Strategies for Growth
Session 6 | Presenters: Will Brokaw, MS, Consultant, and April Greene, CSP, CHMM, Consultant

Safety culture is the sum total of your organization’s values, beliefs, attitudes, and actions toward safety. It is often referred to as “the way we do things around here” regarding safety. Previous research has identified key attributes or qualities that positive safety cultures share. This presentation will review these key attributes, provide real world examples, and discuss tools and strategies organizations can use to assess and improve their existing safety culture.