Transcript Risk Perception and Risk Communication

Risk Perception and
Risk Communication
Risk Perception

“People are disturbed, not by things, but
by the view they take of them.” Epictetus
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Judgements regarding risk fueled more by
fear than facts
Risk Perception

Risk = Hazard + Outrage
 Peter

Sandman
“There are 3 kinds of lies - lies, damned
lies, and statistics.”
 Mark
Twain
Risk Perception
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Risks feared more:
 new
 human-made
 imposed upon them
 associated with
death
 from untrustworthy
source
 directly affect you
 affect our children
 high uncertainty
Risks feared less:







natural
choice involved
may also provide benefit
under your control
from trusted source
we are less aware of
threatens others
Risk Communication involving Hazards
(CDC)
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Questions to prepare for:
 Why
did this happen?
 Why wasn’t this prevented?
 What else can go wrong?
 When were you notified about this?
 What does this information mean?
 How are ill going to get help?
 What can we expect?
 What bad things aren’t you telling us?
Risk Communication involving Hazards
(CDC)

Information sought by media:
 casualties,
conditions, treatment
 property damage
 response to relief activities
 resulting effects (stress)
Risk Communication involving Hazards
(CDC)

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Don’t try to over reassure the public
Inappropriate to ask people to abandon their
fears
Give people action steps to do
Risk Communication involving Hazards
(CDC)
Timely/accurate release of information
 Be honest, report lack of facts now
 Keep messages simple/straightforward
(avoid scientific explanations)
 Have experts ready to address risks
 Get info out to local officials (they are
trusted more - let them give info out)

Risk Communication Examples
 Colony
of Aedes Agypti found in research
building one floor down from Containment
Insectary where they are used in research
 BL2 waste inadvertently disposed of in
general trash
 Red biowaste bags found in dumpster at
condominium
 Missing, unaccounted for animals infected
with TSE’s
Risk Communication Examples
 Animal
care staff potentially exposed to biohazards
from unauthorized experiment
 Envelope, mail, packages with suspicious powder,
oily substance on or in it
 Staff of child-bearing age exposed to reproductive
pathogen
 Loss of biohazardous material from research lab
(unaccounted for)
 Lab acquired infection in researcher; route of infection
unknown