Harm, danger, and risk

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1.jpg Both “hazard” and “danger” denote insecurity. However, hazards refer to the causes or conditions that may lead to personal injury, occupational diseases, property damage, and damage to the working environment. In this sense, it can be understood as a source of danger or a potential accident hazard. Danger, on the other hand, focuses on indicating the possibility that people, buildings, or other entities may be damaged or destroyed; it is a combination of the likelihood of a specific event occurring and its consequences. Hazard can be considered as potential harm that may cause injury, death, poisoning, or damage to property such as equipment and buildings. It has two characteristics: possibility and severity; without either of these, a danger is not considered to exist. For example, fires or explosions can cause harm to people’s lives or health, or result in unnecessary damage to buildings and other structures, as well as posing a threat to the surrounding environment. The degree of harm is related to the amount of energy released in an accident, while the probability of its occurrence is related to preventive measures (including engineering controls and safety management practices); as long as proper preventive actions are taken, this likelihood is reduced. ““Risk” and “danger” are not the same concept. The expected outcome of danger is bad, unsuccessful, harmful to people, and destructive ； There are two possible outcomes regarding risks: one is negative, resulting in failure and harm to people ； And the other possibility is good, successful, and profitable. For example, humans use vehicles such as airplanes and ships, which carry the risk of accidents and sinkings; however, if the safety technologies for these aircraft and ships are well-developed and traffic management is effective, it becomes faster and more economical, bringing benefits to people. Furthermore, since people use nuclear energy for power generation, there is a risk of leaks and exposure to radiation. This risk is an inherent aspect of this technology. However, in practice, various engineering and technical measures are taken to isolate it from humans and to ensure strict control, thereby preventing any possibility of leaks. As a result, the risk of people being exposed to radiation is reduced to a minimum, allowing people to obtain inexpensive energy from nuclear power plants.