Risk Management, Assessment, and Acceptability

Abstract

Health and safety are moral sentiments generally given very high priority in most societies and by individuals. Like other moral sentiments — such as peace, freedom, and happiness — health and safety are not absolutes that can be defined in a quantitative sense or specified in detail. They are, in fact, intangibly measured by the absence of undesirable elements which tend to reduce these objectives. Good health is considered a state of physical and emotional well being which is achieved by the absence of detectable disease, physical malfunctions or early death. Safety is considered a circumstance of living in which physical injury or imminent threat of such injury is absent.