Risk Perception and Risk Communication

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Risk Perception and Risk Communication
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Risk Perception

• People are disturbed, not by things, but by the
  view they take of them. Epictetus
• Judgements regarding risk fueled more by fear
  than facts

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Risk Perception

• Risk Hazard Outrage
• Peter Sandman
• There are 3 kinds of lies - lies, damned lies,
  and statistics.
• Mark Twain

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Risk Perception

• Risks feared less
• natural
• choice involved
• may also provide benefit
• under your control
• from trusted source
• we are less aware of
• threatens others

• Risks feared more
• new
• human-made
• imposed upon them
• associated with death
• from untrustworthy source
• directly affect you
• affect our children
• high uncertainty

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Risk Communication involving Hazards (CDC)

• Questions to prepare for
• Why did this happen?
• Why wasnt 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 arent you telling us?

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Risk Communication involving Hazards (CDC)

• Information sought by media
• casualties, conditions, treatment
• property damage
• response to relief activities
• resulting effects (stress)

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Risk Communication involving Hazards (CDC)

• Dont try to over reassure the public
• Inappropriate to ask people to abandon their
  fears
• Give people action steps to do

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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)

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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
  TSEs

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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