Sensitizing technical experts to public concerns about industrial hazards using theory, guided imaging and focused group discussion

A major reason for the discrepancy between expert and lay perceptions of risk is that risk does not mean the same thing to each group. When referring to risk, experts generally mean the probability of a serious accident occurring multiplied by the magnitude of the resulting incidence of mortality, morbidity or environmental damage, which has been referred to as hazard. When lay persons refer to risk, they generally mean hazard as well as and, often, more significantly many other outrage factors that concern them. According to one study, when carrying out a risk assessment most experts ignore outrage whereas most lay persons ignore hazard. If this is so, there is an obvious need to address these omissions through carefully designed educational and training activities. Twelve major outrage factors which come into play, independently or in combination, when lay persons are assessing risk, have been selected by the authors and are expressed in the form of 12 risk propositions. It is suggested that as well as familiarizing experts with these risk propositions it is also necessary to sensitize them to the emotional content of the outrage factors. This can best be done through the medium of experiential exercises specifically designed for this purpose. Two examples of such exercises are presented.