Hydroville Pesticide Spill Scenario

1
How We Perceive Risk

• Hydroville Pesticide Spill Scenario
• Background Activity 1

2
Work with a partner and review this statement

• You can easily purchase two chemical products
  (Product A and Product B) in stores. According
  to the Consumer Product Safety Council, in year
  2000 over 20,000 injuries requiring emergency
  room treatment were associated with Product A and
  only 754 with Product B.

3
With your partner, brainstorm answers to
Questions 1 through 5.

1. What are the first words that come to mind when
   you think of Product A and Product B?
2. What kind of products do you think Product A and
   Product B are?
3. In what section of the store would you find these
   items?
4. Do you think either of these products carries a
   warning label? Which one?
5. Assuming that the average emergency room visit
   costs 500, the annual cost for Product A is
   approximately 10,000,000 and Product B is
   377,000. Should the manufacturer of either
   product be required to compensate society for at
   least part of the cost?

4
Continue working with your partner

• Write down your definition of risk.
• Share with your partner and come up with an
  agreed definition.
• Does your definition contain the following
  concepts?
• Harm
• Hazard
• Exposure
• Probability

5
RISK

• Risk is the probability that harm will occur as a
  result of exposure to a hazard.

6
Definitions

• Risk Assessment is the scientific process of
  determining the risk of a specific population
  posed by some action or chemical. It involves
  hazard identification, hazard danger (or
  toxicity), exposure assessment, and risk
  characterization.
• Risk Perception is based on knowledge,
  experience, and values, and often determines how
  we make decisions.
• Risk Management involves society making choices
  and setting priorities about safety, convenience,
  and cost.

7
Flashback!!

• Do you think either product is dangerous?
• What type of product is A? B?
• Where would you find them in a store?
• Do you think either one should be regulated?
• Product A is gelatin. People (mostly children)
  choke on or accidently inhale gelatin and require
  emergency room treatment.
• Product B is Round-Up?, a common herbicide. This
  product is toxic and carries a warning label.

8
Rate the following sports based on risk

• Swimming
• Wrestling
• Baseball/softball
• Basketball
• Volleyball
• Football
• Soccer
• Bicycle Riding
• Skateboarding
• Ice Hockey

9
Sports Risk Data by Participants
Sport Total Participants
Swimming 57,900,000
Bicycle Riding 42,400,000
Baseball/softball 31,000,000
Basketball 29,600,000
Football 19,800,000
Soccer 13,200,000
Volleyball 11,700,000
Skateboarding 7,000,000
Wrestling 3,800,000
Ice Hockey 1,900,000
10
Sports Risk Data by Total Injuries
Sport Total Participants Total Injuries
Basketball 29,600,000 597,224
Bicycle Riding 42,400,000 595,679
Football 19,800,000 372,580
Baseball/softball 31,000,000 339,775
Soccer 13,200,000 175,303
Swimming 57,900,000 69,691
Volleyball 11,700,000 64,239
Skateboarding 7,000,000 59,964
Wrestling 3,800,000 51,164
Ice Hockey 1,900,000 19,835
11
Sports Risk Data by Injury Rate
Sport Total Participants Total Injuries Injury Rate/ 10,000
Basketball 29,600,000 597,224 201.7
Football 19,800,000 372,580 188.2
Bicycle Riding 42,400,000 595,679 140.5
Wrestling 3,800,000 51,164 134.6
Soccer 13,200,000 175,303 132.8
Base/softball 31,000,000 339,775 109.6
Ice Hockey 1,900,000 19,835 104.4
Skateboarding 7,000,000 59,964 85.7
Volleyball 11,700,000 64,239 54.9
Swimming 57,900,000 96,691 16.7