Considerations on Methods and Strategies for Risk Communication Addressed to the General Population Exposed to Adverse Effects Due to Industrial Activities. C. Vollono, R. Latella, L. Lauria, and A. Bastone, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Environmental Hygiene Department, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma
Studies carried out in Italy on risk perception of the general population living near industrial plants show differences and peculiarities in people’s attitude towards the following risk related issues:
perception of severity of risk factors considered;
trust in those responsible of risk management;
trust in risk communicators;
information needs on risk related issues.
These issues arise from the analysis of results of different surveys on risk perception carried out in Italy on two random samples of general population exposed to different kinds of industrial risks: major hazards in a chemical plant and industrial pollution connected to power plant activities. The final aim of both surveys was to set strategies and methods at a local level to plan information initiatives suitable for population risk perception and information needs.
The analysis of the results show that differences emerging from the comparison of studies carried out in different industrial areas are due to the following parameters:
different characteristics of industrial risks (major chemical hazard and industrial pollution connected to power plant activities);
different characteristics of the population exposed (rural population and "industrial" population);
differences in the participation of the populations in the decision making processes regarding risks.
The comparison of the above mentioned studies resulted useful in determining risk communication strategies in accordance with the following considerations: risks connected to industrial activities need communication strategies planned at the local level. Such strategies must be developed after an accurate technical industrial risk assessment of the area involved and, at the same time, after an accurate evaluation of the existing social and cultural reality which has a great influence on the population’s risk perception.
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