Risk Assessment & Management [OK]

Question 1

Differentiate

risk vs hazard

Answer 1

• Risk: Possibility of damage/harm to ppl or assets
• Hazard: Anything that can cause damage/harm/stress to people or assets

Question 2

What makes a hazard dangerous?

Answer 2

Severity of hazard is affected by management/regulation of hazard

Question 3

Differentiate

Risk Assessment vs Management

Answer 3

• Assessment: scientific evaluation of potential impacts posed by a stressor/hazard
• Management: strategies that help alleviate/lower risk

Question 4

Input needed for RA

7

Answer 4

1. Demographics
2. Cause of hazard
3. Effect of hazard
4. Exposure Pathways
5. Longevity
6. Physiology
7. Nature (man-made vs natural)

PLEDENC

Question 5

Why are risk assessments needed?

Answer 5

Policy dictates management
* assessments are needed for us to work on management
* to manage a large pop, you need distinct policy (which should be based on assessments)

Question 6

Main objective of risk assessment

Answer 6

to reduce risk through realistic and cost-effective means that are acceptable to the public

Question 7

List

Objectives of Risk Assessment 4

Answer 7

1. Balance risk and benefits (ex. Drugs, pesticides)
2. Set target levels of risk
3. Set priorities for program activities
4. Estimate residual risks & extent of risks after risk reduction steps have been taken

Question 8

T/F

We cannot get rid of all risk

Answer 8

T
we can only but reduce it enough to make it safe

Question 9

List

How do we protect susceptible populations?

2

Answer 9

1. Additional protective (or safety factors)
2. Guidelines & standards are usually more conservative

Question 10

Why are health workers vulnerable?

Answer 10

• exposed to a higher viral load
• Being constantly exposed to a hazard makes you vulnerable

Question 11

Why are people discomfortable with RA?

Answer 11

1. Probabilities: low probabilities with high consequences

• if a hazard is less likely to happen, but has severe impact when it does (ex. nuclear fallout)

2. Different conclusions, different recommendations (ex. COVID treatments)

Question 12

Why are experts afraid of making evaluations for low probability, high consequences?

Answer 12

• Very technical people are uncomfortable with making decisions on these kinds of probabilities
• Most risk assessments have low no. of studies/ lack of data

Question 13

What are the benefits & dangers of disclosing different opinions?

Answer 13

[+] More perspective
[-] Gridlock: don’t make a decision

Question 14

What principle does this follow”
“[The US EPA must] make an affirmative finding on the safety of a new chemical or significant new use of an existing chemical before it is allowed in the marketplace.”

Answer 14

Precautionary Principle
* If you are unsure abt something, make sure you don’t use it

Question 15

List

Literatures for Risk Assessment

2

Answer 15

1. The Red Book (1983)
2. Stockholm Convention

Question 16

• Literature that standardized how risk assessments are conducted
• By the National Academy of Sciences
• Came after controversial assessments of risk for diff substances

Answer 16

The Red Book (1983)

Question 17

Defined the ‘Dirty Dozen’ – 12 persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
Addressed environmental contaminants & human health

Answer 17

Stockholm Convention (1972)

Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment

Question 18

Identify

Principle:
“Humans have the fundamental right to freedom, equality, and adequate conditions of life, in an environment of a quality that permits a life of dignity and well-being, and bear a solemn responisbility to protect and improve the environment for present and future generations.”

Answer 18

Intergenerational equity
* present generation should make sure envi is the same/beter for future generations

Question 19

Principle where present generation should make sure envi is the same/beter for future generations

Answer 19

Intergenerational equity

Question 20

• legal remedy designed for the protection of one’s constitutional right to a healthy environment
• can invoke in the Supreme Court: they can make a cease & desist order against parties destroying the environment while a case is being a filed against them
• Created when a lot of dams were cropping up + mining activities

Answer 20

Writ of Kalikasan

Question 21

List

Tools for RA

3

Answer 21

1. Constantly updated and evaluated data
2. Assessment methodologies
3. Computational tools for systematic analysis

Question 22

List

Examples of assessment methodologies

4

Answer 22

1. Epidemiology – patterns in populations
2. Toxicology – physiological effects from substances
3. Exposure science – understand how people are exposed and how it leads to ???
4. Genomics/ epigenetics – specific mutations brought about by substances

Question 23

Examples of Computational Tools for systematic analysis

3

Answer 23

Machine learning – AI
Epigenetics
Computational modelling

Question 24

Is acceptable risk defined by risk assessment?

Answer 24

No
* It is Decided by policy informed by risk assessments
* Where Risk Management comes in

Question 25

What factors contribute to population risk?

Answer 25

• From socioeconomic to individual exposures
• Determine background risk of a population

Note: Know population well before imposing management strategies on them