| Project |
Description |
Departments involved |
| Developing consistent
methodologies |
| Risk Assessment and Toxicology Steering Group |
Sub-group of ILGRA chaired by MAFF. Aims are
to review current practices for toxicological risk assessment; identify areas where it is
likely that research will yield better estimates of risk and improved assessment
procedures; generate consortia to fund such research; and evaluate the outcomes. |
DETR, EA, DH, MAFF, HSE. BBSRC, MRC and NERC
are also involved. |
| ILGRA Sub-Group on the Setting of Safety
Standards |
Examines the approaches to standard setting
through departmental case studies. The first case study looked at standard setting for
environmental issues in DETR. |
Co-ordinated by Treasury. First study involved
DETR. |
| Valuation of Benefits of Health and Safety
Control |
Research to develop and use methodologies to
elicit values for loss of life and detriment in four risk areas - transport, fire,
radiation and occupational health. |
HSE, DETR, HO and HMT. |
| Adopting common
approaches on international negotiations |
| Negotiations on Risk Assessment at
International Level Research Study |
Study to compare the approaches adopted to
negotiations; review the desirability of consistency and convergence of policy objectives in UK Government Department's negotiating briefs; and review whether a more consistent framework on risk assessment might be beneficial and, if so, how this might be achieved. Case study approach, concentrating on negotiations on a range of directives. |
HSE led and funded. Case studies involved
MAFF, DETR, DTI and HSE. |
| Risk Communication |
| Risk Communication Benchmark Study |
Research project to develop benchmark
principles for risk communication and methodology for evaluation. Included literature survey, survey of public relations consultants and case studies to test and develop principles. Main output has been a guidance document on risk communication for policy makers. |
HSE led. Co-sponsors DETR, BRU, MoD, DH, MAFF and HMT |
| Research on Social Amplification of Risk |
Initial scoping study summarised the
literature of social amplification and set out the scope for exploiting the framework in
future research. Further research has been commissioned on whether the framework is
applicable to the UK and how it might be used to improve government risk communication. |
HSE, DETR, MAFF, DH, EA, CAA, BRU, HMT. ESRC
are also involved. |
| ILGRA Sub-Group on Risk Communication |
A sub-group of ILGRA, set up to encourage the
dissemination of good practice on risk communication. |
DH Chairs |
| Improving collaboration between departments |
| Database of Government funded risk research |
A list of risk related research projects
currently in train within Departments. To be reviewed regularly. |
MAFF co-ordinating contributions for all
Departments. |
| Project |
Description |
Lead Department |
| Research on Expert Judgement |
A small exploratory research project to
examine the protocols used in the exercise of expert judgement in decision-making with the aim of extracting common approaches to making robust, consistent and explicable
judgements. |
HSE |
| Guidance on Environmental Risk Assessment and Risk Management |
Review of DETR Guidance on Environmental Risk
Assessment and Risk Management. |
DETR |
| Risk Ranking Review |
A critical review of methods which have been
used to compare and rank risks and assessment of the current status of risk ranking as a decision-aiding tool. Circulated to ILGRA. |
HSE |
| DH Group on the Economic Appraisal of the
Health Effects of Air Pollution |
An expert group of health economists appointed
in September 1997 to look specifically at the valuation of health outcomes from the Air
Quality Strategy. The group will advise on whether monetary valuation of the health
effects of air pollution is appropriate, and, if so, the best approach to use in deriving estimates. Issues to be covered include alternative approaches to monetary valuation, risk perception issues, the valuation of mortality and morbidity and healthcare costs. Report due in January 1999. |
DH |
| Research on the Optimisation of Consumer Safety |
A multi-disciplinary literature based review
of the valuation of human life in the context of standards for consumer safety. |
DTI |
| DH initiatives on risk communication |
Generic departmental guidance on principles of
risk communication and a framework for scanning which has been circulated through ILGRA to other departments; workshops; case study seminars. |
DH |
| Chief Medical Officer's Conference on Risk
Communication |
A conference hosted by the CMO on the theme of
risk communication. Participants included academics, public interest groups, the media and government departments. |
DH |
| Project |
Description |
Lead Department |
| FAO/WHO Consultations on Risk Analysis in Food Safety |
Consultations have been held on Risk Analysis, Risk Management, Exposure Assessment and Risk Communication. The overall Risk Analysis
scheme for food safety has been endorsed by Codex Alimentarius as the underpinning
philosophy for international standard setting in food and is also being discussed as an appropriate model for the UK. |
MAFF |
| IPCS/ OECD Project on Terminology |
Joint OECD/IPCS project to harmonise generic
and technical terms in chemical hazard/ risk assessment terminology. |
DH |
| OECD Risk Thesaurus/Dictionary |
The Risk Thesaurus/ Dictionary is a
computerised database of key risk assessment terms and processes under development. |
HSE |
