Does this explain why Hazards are missed and Risks go unnoticed?
Friday, August 27th, 2010Take a look at the following video and let me know what you think. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo
Archive for the ‘Risk Perception’ Category
Take a look at the following video and let me know what you think. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo
Why Inherent Safety Should be a Part of Security Regulation
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010A few weeks ago, Senator Frank Lautenberg proposed Secure Chemical Facilities Act (S. 3559) to the Senate committee on Homeland Security. The bill mandates Inherent Safer Technology (IST) or Inherently safer design (ISD) at high-risk chemical facilities. Knowing the uncertainties surrounding the mere definition of inherent safety, one could say that it ...
How Risk Perception Affects Regulations
Monday, July 12th, 2010Risk is a perception. Our perception of risks is mainly affected by two factors: (a) whether we are voluntarily accepting the risk. A good example is a refinery worker considers the risks at workplace lower than his cousin who has only read about chemical plants; and (b) potential consequences of event or act or decision. For a layman, ...
Becoming Numb to Risks
Monday, July 27th, 2009In our daily lives we often become immune to risks around us. For example, there are around 40,000 annual fatalities from automobile accidents in the US and yet we do not think twice before getting into their cars. We eat a burger ignoring the risks of heart problems! Why do we ...
Developing Trust While Communicating Risks
Sunday, June 7th, 2009Communicating risks to public from chemical or nuclear facilities is a major challenge. We notice this over and over again with EPA community-right-to-know, nuclear power plants and lately with the LNG facilities. I want to focus on a critical aspect of this risk communication – winning the trust of the community. There ...
B.A.N.A.N.A – Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone
Sunday, March 8th, 2009Citizens often oppose chemical process facilities near their community because of potential for high consequence events. This risk aversion of society is commonly referred to as NIMBY (Not-in-my-backyard). The risk aversion is based not by taking into account annual fatalities but based on potential worst-case catastrophe. Thus the main factor ...
