Title: On the Benefits of Multi-Attribute Risk Analysis in Nuclear Emergency Management

Authors: Raimo P. Hämäläinen, Mats Lindstedt and Kari Sinkko

Status: VALDOR-VALues in Decision On Risk, K. Andersson (ed.), Stockholm, Sweden 1999, pp. 197-208.

The radiation protection authorities have seen a need to apply multi-attribute risk analysis in the nuclear emergency management and planning processes to deal with the conflicting objectives, different parties involved and uncertainties. This type of an approach is expected to help in at least the following three areas; to ensure that all the relevant attributes are considered in the decision making, to enhance communication between concerned parties including the population, and to provide a method for including risk analysis explicitly in the process. A MAUT analysis was used to select a strategy for protecting the population after a simulated nuclear accident. A value-focused approach and the use of a neutral facilitator were seen as very useful.