Redefining safety in the era of risk trade-off and sustainability

Abstract

While the risk level of visible factors has lowered, that of invisible and uncertain factors begin to attract attention, such as climate change triggering large-scale disasters and possible counter-risks arising from emerging technologies. Costs involved in reducing risk have risen considerably and a number of unintended counter-risks have also become apparent. Since the various measures implemented to counter global warming, including geoengineering measures, may lead to an increase in acute or chronic health and safety risks, there exists an urgent need for formulation of a framework for debating different kinds of risks by employing a common platform and expanding it along the spatial and temporal axes. In order to extend the scope of impact assessment with regard to the decision-making process and develop a common approach to risk assessment, the author argues that certain shortfalls need to be addressed, such as those that exist with regard to substances, domains, risks, and benefits, as well as in relation to time and space.

Keywords:

• sustainability
• safety
• risk trade-off

Acknowledgments

This paper is partly based on the discussion among researchers in Research Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability (RISS) which was established in 2008 by integrating three research units within AIST; Research Center for Chemical Risk Management, Research Center for Life Cycle Assessment, and Research Center for Explosion Safety.