Societal Risk Assessment: How Safe is Safe Enough? (General Motors Research Laboratories Symposia Series)

This volume constitutes the papers and discussions from a symposium on "Societal Risk Assessment: How Safe is Safe Enough?" held at the General Motors Research Laboratories on October 8-9, 1979. This symposium was the twenty-fourth in an annual series sponsored by the Research Laboratories. Initi­ ated in 1957, these symposia have as their objective the promotion of the interchange ofknowledge among specialists from many allied disciplines in rapidly developing or changing areas ofscience or technology. Attendees characteristically represent the academic, government, and industrial institutions that are noted for their ongoing activities in the particular area of interest. The objective of this symposium was to develop a balanced view of the current status of societal risk assessment's role in the public policy process and then to establish, if possible, future directions of research. Accordingly, the symposium was structured in two dimensions; certainty versus uncertainty and the subjective versus the objective. Furthermore, people representing extremely diverse discip­ lines concerned with the perception, quantification, and abatement of risks were brought together to provide an environment that stimulated the exchange of ideas and experiences. The keys to this exchange were the invited papers, arranged into four symposium sessions. These papers appear in this volume in the order of their presentation. The discussions that in turn followed from the papers are also included. This volume constitutes the papers and discussions from a symposium on "Societal Risk Assessment: How Safe is Safe Enough?" held at the General Motors Research Laboratories on October 8-9, 1979. This symposium was the twenty-fourth in an annual series sponsored by the Research Laboratories. InitiƯ ated in 1957, these symposia have as their objective the promotion of the interchange ofknowledge among specialists from many allied disciplines in rapidly developing or changing areas ofscience or technology. Attendees characteristically represent the academic, government, and industrial institutions that are noted for their ongoing activities in the particular area of interest. The objective of this symposium was to develop a balanced view of the current status of societal risk assessment's role in the public policy process and then to establish, if possible, future directions of research. Accordingly, the symposium was structured in two dimensions; certainty versus uncertainty and the subjective versus the objective. Furthermore, people representing extremely diverse discipƯ lines concerned with the perception, quantification, and abatement of risks were brought together to provide an environment that stimulated the exchange of ideas and experiences. The keys to this exchange were the invited papers, arranged into four symposium sessions. These papers appear in this volume in the order of their presentation. The discussions that in turn followed from the papers are also included Front Matter....Pages i-ix Front Matter....Pages 1-4 The Nature of Risk....Pages 5-17 The Uncertain Risks We Run: Hazardous Materials....Pages 19-41 The Known Risks We Run: The Highway....Pages 43-70 Perceptions of Risk and Their Effects on Decision Making....Pages 71-84 Front Matter....Pages 85-87 On Making Life and Death Decisions....Pages 89-113 Economic Tools for Risk Reduction....Pages 115-128 Trade-Offs....Pages 129-145 Risk-Spreading through Underwriting and the Insurance Institution....Pages 147-178 Front Matter....Pages 179-180 Facts and Fears: Understanding Perceived Risk....Pages 181-216 Ethics, Economics and the Value of Safety....Pages 217-231 Problems and Procedures in the Regulation of Technological Risk....Pages 233-253 The Role of Law in Determining Acceptability of Risk....Pages 255-269 Front Matter....Pages 271-271 Aesthetics of Risk: Culture or Context....Pages 273-285 Witches, Floods, and Wonder Drugs: Historical Perspectives on Risk Management....Pages 287-318 Prospects for Change....Pages 319-332 Miscellaneous Discussion....Pages 333-338 Concluding Remarks....Pages 339-341 Symposium Summary the Safety Profession’s Image of Humanity....Pages 343-346 Back Matter....Pages 347-363 Proceedings of an international symposium held Oct. 8-9, 1979 at the General Motors Research Laboratories, Warren, Mich. and sponsored by the Laboratories. Includes bibliographical references and indexes.