Decision making with respect to safety is becoming more and more complex.
The risk involved must be taken into account together with numerous other factors
such as the benefits, the uncertainties and the public perception.
Can the decision maker be aided by some kind of system, general rules of
thumb, or broader perspective on similar decisions?
This question has been addressed in a joint Nordic project relating to nuclear
power. Modern techniques for risk assessment and management have been
studied, and parallels drawn to such areas as offshore safety and management
of toxic chemicals in the environment.
The report summarises the findings of 5 major technical reports which have
been published in the NORD-series.
The topics include developments, uncertainties and limitations in probabilistic
safety assessments, negligible risks, risk-cost trade-offs, optimisation of nuclear
safety and radiation protection, and the role of risks in the decision making
process.