Analysis of the decision making process in chemical safety

Risk management, for the control of toxic chemicals in particular, and risky human activity in general, begins with the perception of risk and the identification of hazards. The machinery of quantification and evaluation of risk proceeds in a climate of risk perception, and is affected by the state of such perception among all participants in the process. The management of risk, either through legislation or corporate decision making, although ideally objective, is frequently governed by subjective considerations, especially when those individuals or bodies responsible for management decisions develop a 'local' perception of risk. The details of decision making and the sensitivity of the process to various sources of information is reviewed with emphasis on the control of toxic chemicals.