EASOM - Summer School, Dresden, August 2001 Course experiences with course in risk communication Olli Punnonen Finnish Institute of Occupational Health
Occupations (examples)1999 N=5583 >OHS personnel45 >Safety managers, -engineers, -hygienists.9 >Safety representatives8 >Personnel managers and -planners7 >Production, Sales Maintenance Managers8 >Other25 Share of different occupations attended at FIOH training 1999 (%)
Risk Communication , Turku "Riskikommunikaatio" Turku Regional Institute of Occupational Health
Course planning group zHygienist zPhysician zPsychologist zSafety Engineer
Participants in the course OHS-personnel3 laboratory-foremen6 safety-personnel8 reseachers2 ______________ 19
Risk Communication , Turku "Riskikommunikaatio" zI DAY PROGRAM z10.00 Mind-Map and Consepts/ approaches in Risk Communication z11.00 Why to take a risk - which elements are influencin in to our behaviour? z13.00 Practical instructions for risk communication z14.00 Understanding written text z16.00 Massmedia and information about risks z II DAY PROGRAM z 8.30How possible is propable z 9.30Individual differences in exposures z How to calculate, assess and inform on risks - group exercise z Plan to improve your own company risk communication z End of the course, own Mind-Map again about risk communication
I DAY PROGRAM zPre work z10.00 Mind-Map and z Pre work: Describe 1-3 situations, where it is difficult to handle a risks connected to the situation. z Individual work in the beginning of the course: Risk communication - what comes to mind and in which situation/setting - Participants own Mind-Map
I DAY PROGRAM z10.15 Consepts and approaches in Risk Communication zLecture on basic consepts z Perception-Danger-Risk z Risk assessment - Risk management z Risk behaviour- Acceptable level of risk
I DAY PROGRAM z11.00 Why to take a risk - which elements are influencin to our behaviour? zLecture on individual and group behaviour and reactions z "Barriers" against rational behaviour z Theories of health behaviour z Inividual reactions - theories, models and explanation chategories z Group behaviour z Solution oriented approach
I DAY PROGRAM z13.00 Practical instructions for risk communication zLecture: Dialogue approach - focus on the receiver z Risk communication is an essential element in risk management z Risk - danger and exposure z Risk evaluation process z Challenges: Knowledge, process and ability of communication (Rowan) z In communication important - Receivers situation: culture, opinion, knowledge z Fair and unfair comparisons of risk
Fair comparisons - same risk during different times - compared to the standards Unfair comparisons - compare to the costs - compare to the benefit - compare to the other factors causing same illness - compare to smoking, car driving etc. Possible comparisons - risk compared to the situation done nothing - to the same risk in different places Comparisons
I DAY PROGRAM z14.00 Understanding written text - How we read a statement, news paper, Internet. z Group exercise: 3 groups - each with 3 articles about the same theme. Indoor air and mobile phones. z Same subject, but different sources z Task is to assess a given text 1. Reliability of the information (article etc.) 2. Probability of risk 3. Intelligibility of the information
I DAY PROGRAM z16.00 Massmedia and information about risks z Discussion on how to co- operate with massmedia
II DAY PROGRAM z8.30 How possible is propable z Lecture and discussion on interpretation of probability concepts z Verbal expression, print words, numbers and the relativity of information
II DAY PROGRAM z9.30 Individual differences in exposures z Lecture from the medical point of view z Individual susceptibility and factors influencin in susceptibility
II DAY PROGRAM z12.30 How to calculate, assess and express or inform on risks z Group exercises (calculation) about risk assessment, acceptability of risk level, and avoidance of risk 1. Cancer risk in bensin filling, 2. Safe pregnancy, 3. Safe filling of nitrogen cask z Discussion on what can be assessed or mathematically solved, how to frame uncertainity and how to live with it
II DAY PROGRAM z15.00 Plan to improve your own company risk communication z Discussion: What can we do in another way - what is ok now in our organisation z End of the course, own Mind-Map again about risk communication