A Risk Quiz for the Experts
 

A RiskWorld news brief by Amy Charlene Reed, staff editor
E-mail to: reed@tec-com.com

  June 26, 1998 -- The Harvard Center for Risk Analysis has ranked 10 potential hazards that families face in their homes, and RiskWorld readers can take the quiz below to see how their own rankings compare with those of the center.

"Our ultimate goal in creating this ranking was to promote the comparison of hazards found in the home using the same risk dimensions for each," said Jennifer L. DeAscentis, a research assistant at the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis who worked on the project. "The public hears about these risks in the media but has no way to rank them. We wanted to go the extra step and help families put these risks in perspective."

The Harvard risk center began the project by first making a list of all risks in the home that have been in the news during the past year and researching each one in the scientific literature. "The final 10 hazards that we ended up with may not be the greatest risks found in the home but were those that had the most scientific data available," DeAscentis said. "We then ranked them according to three major considerations – the weight of scientific evidence that any hazard exists, the number of Americans who might die each year assuming that the hazard is real, and the annual chance of premature fatality faced by individuals who are highly exposed or susceptible."

The Harvard risk center’s study focused mainly on scientific literature from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Safety Council, although reports from other organizations such as the National Research Council also were reviewed. The center presented its findings in its monthly report Risk in Perspective, which is circulated mainly to risk professionals across the nation.
 

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Quiz: Ranking Risks in the Home

Rank the following 10 potential hazards that U.S. families face in their in homes in order of public health significance, taking into account mortality consequences, with "1" being the most hazardous. Then compare the results with Harvard Center for Risk Analysis’ ranking given on the next page.

Accidentally falling

Accidentally firing a gun

Inhaling insulation fibers

Exposure to fire and burns

Poisonings

Inhaling radon gas

Suffocation (including choking)

Exposure to electric and magnetic fields from power lines

Inhaling environmental (secondhand) tobacco smoke

Inhaling formaldehyde emitted from building materials.

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Posted June 26, 1998.

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