Public safety and risk assessment : improving decision making / David J. Ball, Laurence Ball-King.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ball, D. J. (David John)

Contributor:

Ball-King, Laurence.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Public safety--Great Britain.

Public safety.

Risk assessment--Government policy--Great Britain.

Risk assessment.

Decision making--Great Britain.

Decision making.

Risk assessment--Government policy.

Great Britain.

Physical Description:

xvi, 204 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Abingdon, Oxon ; New York : Earthscan, 2011.

Summary:

Over the past decade health and safety has become a major issue of public interest. There are countless stories of health and safety activities interfering with public life, preventing some beneficial activity from taking place - even creating absurd or dangerous situations. On the one hand, risk assessment, properly conducted, is highly beneficial - it save lives and prevents injuries. But on the other, it can damage public life. Why has this come about, and does it have to be like that? Over the past decade health and safety has become a major issue of public interest. There are countless stories of health and safety activities interfering with public life, preventing some beneficial activity from taking place - even creating absurd or dangerous situations. On the one hand, risk assessment, properly conducted, is highly beneficial - it save lives and prevents injuries. But on the other, it can damage public life. Why has this come about, and does it have to be like that? The authors examine the origins the problem, look critically at the tools used by safety assessors and their underlying assumptions, and consider important differences between public life and industry (where the approaches largely originated). They illuminate the whole with an analysis of legal requirements, attitudes of stakeholders, and recent research on risk perception and decision making. The result is a profound and important analysis of risk and safety culture and a framework for managing public safety more effectively. Book jacket.

Contents:

Clear and foreseeable danger

Risk assessment-a simple tool?

Is safety paramount?

Risk and safety-a national philosophy

What works in public life?

Legal matters

Advice-whose advice?

A closer look at decision making

Adventure activities-a hard case

Risk-benefit assessment

In search of a new agenda

Final thoughts and résumé.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781849713801

1849713804

9781849713818

1849713812

OCLC:

706920696