Risk communication: Uncertainties and the numbers game

Conference · Wed Aug 30 04:00:00 EDT 1995

OSTI ID:134995

Ortigara, M ^[1]

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1. ed.

The science of risk assessment seeks to characterize the potential risk in situations that may pose hazards to human health or the environment. However, the conclusions reached by the scientists and engineers are not an end in themselves - they are passed on to the involved companies, government agencies, legislators, and the public. All interested parties must then decide what to do with the information. Risk communication is a type of technical communication that involves some unique challenges. This paper first defines the relationships between risk assessment, risk management, and risk communication and then explores two issues in risk communication: addressing uncertainty and putting risk number into perspective.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 134995
• Report Number(s): ANL/IPD/CP--87670; CONF-9510245--1; ON: DE96002708
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
DATA COVARIANCES
PUBLIC INFORMATION
RISK ASSESSMENT