Determining The Risks - Purdue University



Determining The Risks

Life is full of risks. Even the everyday things we do are inherently risky. Going to work, exercising, playing, sleeping, drinking and eating all carry certain risks that we choose to accept in our daily lives.

While most people avoid taking unnecessary risks, daily we must evaluate whether the benefits to be gained from a particular risk or course of action outweigh the hazards associated with this action.

People are demanding and gaining a greater voice in decisions about risk.

Much of the information people get about risk comes from the mass media. The media collect, interpret, and transmit information about the technical, political, and societal implications of risk.

We must do a better job of assessing and managing the risks of everyday life, especially those associated with new technologies.

We must be ready to persuade people that eliminating risks is an impossible goal.

We must be sure that we are willing to do everything in our power to minimize the risks that the public is asked to face.

The only long-term solution is to educate and empower people so that they will be able to make the best (that is, the most well-informed) decisions about risk in their own lives.

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