ABSTRACT
There are various ways of setting these priorities. When the public and politicians are involved, it often seems that those who shout the loudest get the most. If a more systematic and more defensible method is found, then there are two distinct approaches: remove or reduce first those risks which exceed a particular level or remove or reduce first those risks that are cheapest to remove or reduce. This chapter describes and compares these two methods with particular reference to the process industries, though much of what will be said is relevant to other industries. Most of the criteria or targets that are set for risk are more complex but the principle is the same. In industry investigators often try to estimate the risks to life to which employees are exposed and then try to remove or reduce those risks which exceed an average or specified value.
