Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 28, 2025

Safety Precautions and Operating Procedures in an ABSL-4 Laboratory: 2. General Practices
Published on: October 3, 2016
The dynamic nature of risk in DOE facilities in the surveillance and maintenance program-with observations for risk
Megan E Harkema1, Steven L Krahn1, Henry J Mayer2
1Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Abstract:
We explore three case studies of facilities at two US Department of Energy (DOE) former nuclear weapons research and production sites-the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Hanford site-whose risk profiles have changed during their long-term management under the DOE's surveillance and maintenance (S&M) program. These case studies provide examples of the challenges faced in communicating to external stakeholders, such as federal and state regulators, local communities surrounding the site, as well as the general public, the circumstances surrounding unexpected events or the emergence/discovery of new risk-important information at historically high-risk sites. We identify common topics of importance from these case studies and suggest a taxonomy for risk communicators to use in informing the dialogues with individuals and organizations that may not be technically oriented or fully informed on the subject matter. The taxonomy is based on technical insights from the quintessential definition of risk known as the Kaplan-Garrick "risk triplet" as well as insights from regulatory guidance documents on risk communication with external stakeholders originally developed for the commercial nuclear power industry.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Hazard Rate
Principles of Disease Surveillance
Types of Reports II: Incident or Occurrence Report
Purposes:
In the healthcare industry, reports play a crucial role in documenting incidents within an agency. The primary objective of these reports is to ensure patient safety, uphold the...
Pharmacovigilance
This process, termed pharmacovigilance, aims to detect, evaluate, and minimize harmful effects related to medication use. The data collection for pharmacovigilance depends on spontaneous reporting systems, where healthcare professionals or patients voluntarily report suspected ADRs.
In some cases, there...
Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...
Design Example: Analyzing Capacity Contours for Flood Risk Assessment

