Risk classification guide for medical device establishment inspections (GUI-0079): Glossary

Deviation
Departure from an approved instruction or established standard. (ICH Q7)
Harm
Injury or damage to the health of people, or damage to property or the environment. (ISO 14971:2019)
Hazard
Potential source of harm. (ISO 14971:2019)
Hazardous situation
Circumstance in which people, property or the environment are exposed to 1 or more hazards. (ISO 14971:2019)
Observation (medical devices)
A deviation, deficiency or failure to comply with the Food and Drugs Act or the Medical Devices Regulations that an inspector:
  • sees during an inspection of a medical device establishment
  • confirms in an inspection report given to the establishment

Consult the Overview page for more information about how observations are classified by risk.

Person
Includes a partnership and an association. (Section 1, MDR)
Risk
Combination of the probability of occurrence of harm and the severity of that harm. (ISO 14971:2019)
Severity
Measure of the possible consequence of a hazard. (ISO 14971:2019)

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2025-11-21