ABSTRACT
The chief purpose of risk assessment is to aid decision making, and this focus should be maintained throughout a given program. The application of risk assessment can reduce possible ambiguities in the decision-making process. The results can be used to determine the types of risk management actions necessary for a given hazardous waste problem. Risk assessment can be used to define the level of risk, which will in turn aid in determining the level of analysis, the type of corrective actions to adopt for given hazardous waste management problem. Risk assessment has several specific applications that could affect the type of decisions to be made in relation to hazardous waste management. All the management decisions are made based on inputs from a prior risk assessment of the applicable case-specific problem. Risk management combines political, legal, and engineering approaches to manage risks. Risk assessment information is used in the risk management process to help arrive at decisions on how to protect public health, the environment.
