Science and Risk: How Safe is Safe Enough?
Harpur Academic Review,
1992
by David KaneAbstract: Risk is a difficult concept to measure and effectively use in decision making.
This paper seeks to present the problems of risk decisions in order to present models
that can be used to answer the question, How safe is safe enough? First the basic terms
in the study of risk are outlined. This is important because many of the terms are used
interchangeably, and the distinctions between them are not always clear. The problems
confronting those studying risk are discussed. There are three basic disparities that
exist in the way risk is dealt with. There are differences: - in the way risk is perceived
- in the way risk is measured
- between these perceptions and measurements
These variations will each be discussed in turn, in order to understand the dilemmas they
create for policy makers. The resolution of these dilemmas is the subject of the last
section of the paper. A model is presented that incorporates the perspective of both
science and the public. It calls for science to provide risk assessment along with
confidence intervals for their assessments. This puts the value decisions of safety
into the hands of policy makers. | |
