Book Descriptions

Affordable Safety by Choice: The Life Quality Method

J.S. Nathwani, N.C. Lind, M.D. Pandey 1997 Paperback ($45.00)
ISBN 0-9696747-9-1

This book considers the problems of managing risk responsibly on behalf of others. It will be of primary interest to decision-makers charged with the task of developing strategies and implementing safety policies. A coherent and unified rationale for managing risk in the public interest has been developed in the form of four principles of accountability, maximizing net benefit to society, compensation and life measure. A new method and the supporting analytical tools have been developed and applied to assess a wide range of risk management problems. Risk assessment specialists, scientists, engineers, public health officials, regulators and practitioners who provide support to decision-makers will find in the Life Quality Index a robust tool that will help address some of fundamental issues related to the costs, the benefits, the risk and the uncertainty surrounding any risk management problems.


CAN/CSA-Q850-97 - Risk Management: Guideline for Decision-Makers

Published by: Canadian Standards Association 1997. Paperback ($38.00)
ISSN 0317-5669

This Guideline provides a systematic method for analyzing complex risk issues and provides the decision-maker with the information necessary to make decisions with confidence. This Guideline was developed building on existing risk communication into the decision process. It is intended to be applicable across a number of risk management disciplines, such as health, transportation, and industrial safety. For example, in the area of human health, this Guideline could provide a framework for the assessment and management of the potential risks associated with chemicals, radiation, microbiological contaminants, or diseases. It does not, however, provide a formula that is guaranteed to give the "correct" solution, nor does it tell the individual or organization what it should value. This Guideline was prepared by the CSA Technical Committee on Risk Management under the authority of the CSA Strategic Steering Committee on Business Management Systems.


Climate Change, Uncertainty and Decision-Making

Edited by G.M. Paoli 1994. Paperback ($25.00)
ISBN 0-9696747-3-2

This volume contains papers and discussion from the workshop, Risk Estimation of Extreme Weather Events. The workshop addressed techniques to reduce some of the uncertainty associated with extremes in weather, with and without climate change, and techniques to effectively manage the inevitable remaining uncertainty.

Some of the topics which were covered: downscaling from global scenarios to local effects using stochastic simulation; downscaling using meso-scale models; spatial interpolation of stochastic rainfall parameters; information-theoretic estimation of random variables with sparse data sets; Bayesian analysis for climate-based decisions; and Dempster-Shafer Theory and its application to water resources decisions. The volume provides background chapters, papers on these topics, and captures the panel and roundtable discussions in a summary chapter.


Dangerous Goods Movements

Edited by J.H. Shortreed 1985. Paperback ($7.00)
ISBN 0-88898-059-0

This publication is a record of the workshop held at Waterloo in the spring of 1984. The objective of the workshop was to produce a summary document which both evaluates the current status of dangerous goods risk management and propose specific areas for further investigation and possible action.


Development of Environmental Health Status Indicators

Edited by R.S. McColl 1992. Paperback ($30.00)
ISBN 0-9692870-9-7

This book contains the papers presented at the Workshop on Environmental Health Status sponsored jointly by Health and Welfare Canada and Statistics Canada. The primary objective of the Workshop was to examine the development of methods for utilizing available resources of environmental health status information, and exploring the relationship between environmental status and associated indicators of health status in the Canadian population. The papers cover the following topic areas:

  • Overview of issues
  • Sources of environmental status information
  • Outcome indicators of health status
  • Monitoring for carcinogenic risks
  • Perspectives on environmental health indicators.


Drinking Water Safety, A Total Quality Management Approach

Edited by S.E. Hrudey. 2003. Paperback ($50.00)
ISBN 0-9684982-3-X

This volume is the proceedings of a Conference on Drinking Water Safety: A Total Quality Management Approach that was held to consider the recent incidents of drinking water contamination in Canada in context with state of the art approaches to drinking water protection in Canada, Australia and worldwide. The conference was organized jointly by the Network for Environmental Risk Assessment and Management (NERAM) and the McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment and sponsored by Environment Canada, Health Canada, the Canadian Water Network and the Centre for Water and the Environment at Queen’s University.

A key objective was to identify priority actions to be implemented over the next 5 to 10 years to improve drinking water safety in Canada. Delegates emphasized the need for immediate improvements to ensure the robustness of small water supply systems in Canada, in conjunction with longer-tem initiatives to develop a National, comprehensive risk-based framework for management of drinking water. The adoption of an integrated, ecosystem watershed management approach to ensure effective source protection across Canada was recommended as well as continued support for research and development to assess drinking water system vulnerabilities and to further optimize water treatment, distribution, monitoring and management systems.

This volume presents the conference summary statement on priorities for drinking water safety in Canada and peer reviewed papers addressing key elements and state of the art approaches for drinking water risk management. The papers address five main themes: best practice in drinking water quality and safety; perspectives for risk management; management of water systems; water quality indicators; and water treatment and quality issues.


Energy Alternatives: Benefits and Risks

Edited by H.D. Sharma. 1990. Paperback ($25.00)
ISBN 0-88898-092-2

This volume presents the latest information on the benefits and detriments of various energy alternatives. The primary focus is on the total impact on modern society of energy and, in particular, energy that is widely usable at low cost. Subject areas highlighted are:

  • Risk-benefit assessments
  • Risk management
  • Energy alternatives - economics and social aspects; fossil fuel; nuclear
  • Sources other than nuclear and fossil.

The papers included in this volume were presented at the International Symposium on the Total Risk and Benefit Impact of Energy Alternatives held at the University of Waterloo, Institute for Risk Research in May 1986.


Energy for 300 Years: Benefits and Risks

J.S. Nathwani, E. Siddall, N.C. Lind 1992. Paperback ($50.00)
ISBN 0-969287-07-0

This book is about sustainable energy use: its impacts on wealth creation, the attendant consequences on social and economic well-being, and the risks and benefits that arise from energy use. Using the framework developed in the IRR publication Managing Risks in the Public Interest, the authors examine the connection between energy use and economic growth, present a study of the expected future needs for energy, the abilities of various supply options (coal, oil, natural gas, hydro, nuclear, wind, solar, and conservation) to meet that demand, and the assessment of the environmental impacts and the risk and benefits associated with energy use.


Environmental Health Risks: Assessment and Management

Edited by R.S. McColl. 1987. Cloth ($44.00)
ISBN 0-88898-076-0

This volume addresses the application of current scientific knowledge to problems in risk assessment and risk management for environmental health hazards. Its primary focus is on the health effects produced by environmental pollutants and occupational hazards with an emphasis placed on chemical toxicants that produce chronic disorders. Subject areas highlighted are:

  • Hazard identification
  • Risk analysis
  • Hazard control
  • Decision analysis
  • Implementation monitoring and evaluation.

This volume presents selected papers delivered at the Symposium on Environmental Health Risks: Assessment and Management held at the University of Waterloo, Institute for Risk Research in May 1985.


Mad Cows and Mother's Milk: The Perils of Poor Risk Communication

D. Powell, W. Leiss 1997. Paperback ($20.00)
Published by: McGill-Queen's University Press ISBN 0-7735-1619-0

Communicating the nature and consequences of environmental and health risks to the public is one of the most problematic areas for policy makers. Given the perceived risks associated with the food we eat, chemicals in the environment, and modern technologies, consumers need clear and timely explanations of the nature of those risks - but they rarely get them.

Using a series of high-profile examples - including the mad cow fiasco, E. colioutbreaks, and silicone breast implants - the authors outline the crucial role of risk management in dealing with public controversies and analyse risk communication practice and malpractice, providing a set of lessons for risk management communicators. They argue that the failure of institutions to inform the public about the scientific bases of various risks makes it difficult for government, industry, and society to manage risk controversies sensibly and often results in massive costs.


Managing Risks in the Public Interest

(Second Printing) N.C. Lind, J.S. Nathwani, E. Siddall 1991. Paperback ($40.00)
ISBN 0-9692870-6-2

Risks arising from technology should be managed in such a way as to maximize the net benefit to society. This study provides a framework for the implementation of the principle of maximizing the net benefit to society. Two combined indicators of the expectancy and quality of life are developed to give criteria for decision-making in policy matters on life saving and safety. The central issue of risk management in the public interest is very much the wise allocation of scarce resources. The study develops the theme that progress in the management of risks is possible if an open accounting is rendered of the risks and the benefits. This should then form the basis for guiding decisions among alternatives.


Municipal Solid Waste Management: Making Decisions in the Face of Uncertainty

Edited by M.E. Haight 1991. Paperback ($40.00)
ISBN 0-88898-103-1

This volume will assist those involved in the decision-making process for municipal solid waste management in selecting effective, integrative management strategies. The various options (landfilling, combustion and the 3Rs) are evaluated from risk assessment and risk management perspectives. The health and environmental risks, economic implications, principles of operation and future directions of each of these municipal solid waste management strategies are explored.

The contributions are from various professions including industry, government departments, consultants and academia. Their treatment of the issues addresses the needs of other professionals as well as those of the public in general.


Principles of Communicating Risks

Jean Mulligan, Elaine J. McCoy, and Angela Griffiths 1998. Spiral ($38.00)
Published by: MacLeod Institute for Environmental Analysis ISBN 0-9683618-0-3

Principles of Communicating Risks examines how effective risk communication establishes an interactive exchange of information and opinion, fosters corporate/stakeholder partnerships, promotes action in addition to dialogue, and creates an atmosphere in which trust and credibility prevail.

It is a practical and applicable resource for organizations proposing change in a stable, traditional environment (e.g., an industrial development in a rural community). Through an examination of risk communication theory, organizational barriers and case studies, readers will be better able to clearly identify and resolve issues in advance of engaging the public interest.


Process Safety and Loss Management in Canada
Proceedings of the First Biennial Conference 1993

Edited by C. Robinson & L. Wilson 1995. Paperback ($45.00)
ISBN 0-9696747-5-9

This book is the Proceedings of the First Biennial Canadian Conference on Process Safety and Loss Management (PSLM) held in Edmonton on April 22-23, 1993. The long-term goal of the Conference and the Proceedings is to continue the development of process safety and loss management in Canada.

The 1993 Conference focused on the following topics: managing change; auditing; hazard identification; and risk analysis. The information provided will assist industries, both large and small, as they continue to develop the safety goals, risk management plans, and programs that will enable them to take a leadership role in a competitive global economy.

The chapters in this book address numerous fundamental questions and issues related to process safety and loss management requirements and implementation practices: Why are effective process safety and loss management programs essential? Why and how did they evolve? What do they involve? How might they best be implemented in practice? How may a continuous record of excellence in process safety and loss management performance be accomplished? What remains to be done, and by whom? While much of the material included in this book is drawn from Canadian requirements, practices, and experiences, relevant and useful information based on developments in the United States of America also is provided.

The information provided will assist industries, both large and small, as they continue to develop the safety goals, risk management plans, and programs that will enable them to take a leadership role in a competitive global economy. The chapters of this book address numerous fundamental questions and issues related to PSLM requirements and implementation practices including: managing change; auditing; hazard identification; and risk analysis.

This book should be of value not only to PSLM professionals but also to corporate top managers, plant managers, government regulators, process operators and other plant employees (e.g. process design engineers; maintenance staff), and to faculty and students in community college or university programs which provide education and training for future employees of the process industries.


Processing Doubtful Information

Edited by E. Rosenblueth, C. Ferregut, M. Ordaz, X. Chen. 1987. Paperback ($6.00)
ISBN 0-969287-05-4

This paper uses bayesian statistics to present a method for calculating the probability that each of a set of hypotheses is true using information previously available and updating it. In a parallel approach the paper also deals with the distributions of the parameters of probability distribution, including the case of outliers.


Prospects and Problems in Risk Communication

Edited by W. Leiss. 1989. Paperback ($20.00)
ISBN 0-88898-095-7

The articles in this book cover a wide range of current issues in risk communication. These include: a comprehensive review of the obstacles that have been encountered in communicating risk management controversies in North America; analyses of the distinction between technical risk and perceived risk; reviews of communication case studies, controversies, and practices involving Canadian government departments; studies on the place of quantitative risk assessment results in effective risk communication practices; and recommendations for improving current policies and practices. The contributors are from various professions - the media, industry, government departments, consultants, and academic fields. Their treatment of these issues addresses the needs of other professionals in these areas as well as those of the public in general.


Readings in Risk

Edited by T.S. Glickman, M. Gough 1990. Paperback ($35.00)
Published by: Resources for the Future ISBN 0-915707-55-1

This book reflects the sharp growth in scholarly inquiry into risk assessment, risk management, and risk communication and the mounting concern within industry and government and among the general public about the health and safety hazards posed by environmental contaminants and technological systems. Developed for use as a convenient reference work in graduate and undergraduate courses as well as for researchers, policymakers, and interested laypersons, the book is a unique collection of authoritative yet accessible journal articles about risk. Drawn from a variety of disciplines including the physical and social sciences, engineering, and the law, the articles deal with a wide range of public policy, regulatory, management, energy, and environmental issues. The selections are accompanied by introductory notes, questions for thought and discussion, and suggestions for further reading.


Reliability and Risk Analysis in Civil Engineering 1 & 2 (ICASP5) 1987

Edited by N.C. Lind 1987. Paperback ($50.00)
ISBN 0-9692870-0-3

These volumes contain the manuscripts of the general and special lectures and the text of the contributed papers presented at the Fifth International Conference on Applications of Statistics and Probability in Soil and Structural Engineering, held at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC May 25-29, 1987.


Risk: Analysis, Perception & Management

Published by: U.K. Royal Society 1992. Paperback ($45.00)
ISBN 0-85403-467-6

This book is a collection of six chapters including: Introduction; Estimating Engineering Risk; Toxicology and Nutrition; Estimating Engineering Risk; Toxicity, Toxicology and Nutrition; Estimation of Risk from Observation on Man; Risk Perception; and Risk Management.

Together the chapters provide a comprehensive coverage of risk assessment and perception from a variety of points of view which will, it is hoped, give guidance on ways in which systems for risk identification, assessment and management can be improved in effectiveness and acceptability.


Risk of Death in Canada: What We Know and How We Know It

S. Thomas, S. Hrudey 1997 Paperback ($20.00)
ISBN 0-88864-299-7

Presented in clear, accessible language, Risk of Death in Canada offers both a summary of health risk information and an explanation of the underlying source and certainty of that information. Thomas and Hrudey explain both how we understand risk and how we respond to it.

Through such topics as uncertainty, data collection, risk perception and risk analysis - and highlighted by tables, graphs, figures and extensive supplementary material - Risk of Death in Canada provides a valuable guide for students and professionals in medicine, nursing, health sciences, health promotion and public policy.


Risk Management for Dangerous Goods

Edited by J.H. Shortreed. 1989. Paperback ($15.00)
ISBN 0-88898-089-2

This volume identifies new directions for improving risk management for dangerous goods in Canada and considers the major achievements in Canada that have made the movement of dangerous goods safer. New directions include industry safety plans, better response capability, training, performance standards, insurance and risk planning.

This book will be of special interest to people with direct responsibility for risk management of dangerous goods, including regulators, insurance, inspection, police, firefighters, training personnel, shippers, manufacturers, and transporters.

The papers selected for this volume were presented at the Workshop on Risk Management for Dangerous Goods held at the University of Waterloo, Institute for Risk Research in April 1986.


Software Safety: Everybody's Business

Edited by D. Del Bel Belluz & H.C. Ratz 1994 Paperback ($30.00)
ISBN 0-9696747-4-0

This book focuses on salient issues for third-party review of software controlled, safety-related systems (those which pose a risk to human life or health). This book introduces a risk management approach to making the use of software in control systems both safer and more acceptable to decision makers, regulators, and the public at large. Pertinent issues are illustrated through case studies drawn from several industries including aeronautical, nuclear, and medical.

The articles in the book reflect the perspectives of a wide cross-section of practitioners, academics and regulators with diverse international experience. The contributors are from various professions responsible for designing, implementing, and regulation safety-critical software. Many of the contributors are researchers interested in developing improved approaches for software design and safety engineering.


Technical Risk Issues in Business and Regulatory Decision-Making

Edited by Diana Del Bel Belluz, J. Shortreed 1996 Paperback ($40.00)
ISBN 0-9696747-8-3

This book contains the documentation produced in advance of the Working Colloquium of the same title held in Calgary, Alberta on September 19-20, 1996.

This book contains two keynote papers and seven Case Example papers. It also contains a technical and a management review of each paper. The case examples cover a wide variety of application areas including:

  • Environmental management (soil, air, and water)
  • Transportation
  • Natural hazards
  • Environmental health regulation
  • Industrial safety and loss management.

This book features a summary of the discussions and the Colloquium's two main results: 1) Guidelines for Technical Risk Assessment; and 2) Guidelines for the Encorporation of Risk Assessment into Decision-Making.


Transport Risk Assessment

Edited by S. Yagar. 1984 Cloth ($10.00)
ISBN 0-88898-049-3

The symposium which generated this volume examined the analysis of risk in transport from a variety of disciplines. This multi-disciplinary aspect highlighted discussions on questions such as the level of regulation in transport, the extent of better, practical guidance to transport operators, users and regulators, and the extent and means of improvement upon the status-quo.


Transportation of Dangerous Goods: Assessing the Risks

Edited by F.F. Saccomanno, K. Cassidy. 1993 Cloth ($45.00)
ISBN 0-9696747-1-6

This book contains the papers presented at the First International Consensus Conference on the Risks of Transporting Dangerous Goods. The central aim of the conference was to provide an open expert forum for the comparative assessment of quantitative risk assessment (QRA) models. The papers are organized into five chapters: application of QRA models to the transport of dangerous goods; analysis of dangerous goods accidents and releases; application of simple risk assessment methodology; uncertainty in risk estimation; and risk tolerance, communication and policy implications.


Truck Safety: Perceptions and Reality

Edited by F. Saccomanno, & J. Shortreed 1996 Paperback ($55.00)
ISBN 0-9696747-7-5

This book is the result of a North American conference of industry stakeholders, government regulators, and highway safety researchers held to review factors affecting safety in the trucking industry and to develop a collective view of critical truck safety issues. Published with support from Transportation Development Centre and Ontario Ministry of Transportation, the book features current issues, trends, and future directions on the following topics:

  • Carrier management practices to improve safety and profitability
  • Driver fatigue and accident risk
  • Causes and consequences of truck accidents
  • New technologies in vehicle and roadway design
  • Regulation and policy in Canada, U.S. and Mexico
  • Load security issues
  • Industry stakeholder consensus on critical truck safety issues and proposed initiatives


Value Assumptions in Risk Assessment: A Case Study of the Alachlor Controversy

C. Brunk, L. Haworth, B. Lee 1991. Paperback ($20.00)
Published by: Wilfrid Laurier University Press ISBN 0-88920-200-1

Using the alachlor pesticide case as the basis for their study, the authors set out to examine the views that risk assessment can be value free and that a risk-benefit approach to risk management can produce a maximally objective basis for political decision making. This work brings to light various problems public policy makers encounter as they grapple with recommendations from scientific advisors in attempting to deal with environmentally sensitive issues, for which the general population demands immediate and effective action.

   
John Shortreed 519-885-4027 irr-neram@uwaterloo.ca
Last Updated: January 13, 2009
© IRR-NERAM 2003