Skip to main content

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Reliability Engineering ((RELIABILITY))

  • 758 Accesses

Abstract

The safe operation of nuclear reactors places a premium on reducing the risk of radiation exposure to workers and members of the public with the potential for adverse health effects and loss of life. To ensure safety, large financial investments are generally incurred at the design stage of the power plants. By the life quality method, the efficacy of the expenditures can be judged against the safety benefit to be gained. The approach provides a defendable basis for making such judgment through its link to the societal capacity to commit resources. Here we illustrate how to quantify the justifiable expenditures for safety measures enacted to reduce the risk of exposures to radiation through engineering safety programs and safety regulations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Arthur WB (1980) The economics of risks to life. Am Econ Rev 71(1):54–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Bleichrodt H, Wakker P, Johannesson M (1997) Characterizing QALYs by risk neutrality. J Risk Uncert, 15:107–114

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Canada (1995) Government of Canada Regulatory Policy, Treasury Board Secretariat, November, pp1–2

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen BL (1991) Catalog of risks extended and updated. Health Phys 61(3):317–335

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conley BC (1976) The value of human life in demand for safety. Am Econ Rev 66(1):45–55

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Fraser PM (1988) A review of the design related aspects of the safety of Ontario Hydro’s nuclear generating stations. Ontario Nuc Saf Rev, 2 (App):2.1–2.154, Toronto

    Google Scholar 

  • Hicks JR (1939) The foundation of welfare economics. Econ J 49(196): 696–712

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keyfitz N (1985) Applied mathematical demography. Springer-Verlag, New York

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Krupnick AJ, Alberini A, Cropper M et al (2000) Age, health and willingness to pay for mortality risk reduction. Discussion paper, Resources for Future DP00-37. Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • National Academy of Sciences (1990) Committee on the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation. Health effects of exposure to low levels of ionizing radiation (BEIR V). National Academy Press, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Lutter R, Morrall JF, Viscusi WK (1999) The cost-per-life-saved cutoff for safety-enhancing regulations. Econ Inq, 37(4):599–608

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Donnell EP, Mauro JJ (1979) A cost benefit analysis of nuclear safety and nonnuclear health and safety protective measures and regulations. J Nucl Saf 20(5): 525–540

    Google Scholar 

  • Ontario Hydro (1987) Darlington NGS probabilistic safety evaluation: Summary report. Nuclear Safety and Studies Department. Ontario Hydro, Toronto

    Google Scholar 

  • Ontario Hydro (1988a) The safety of Ontario’s nuclear power reactors: A scientific and technical review. In: Chapter 17 – Costs of nuclear safety vol. 1, Ontario Nuclear Safety Review, Toronto

    Google Scholar 

  • Ontario Hydro (1988b) The safety of Ontario’s nuclear power reactors: A scientific and technical review. In: Section 1 Management of nuclear safety in Ontario Hydro, vol.1. Ontario Nuclear Safety Review, Toronto

    Google Scholar 

  • Pandey MD, Nathwani JS (2003) A conceptual approach to the estimation of societal willingness-to-pay for nuclear safety programs. Nucl Eng Des 224:65–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pauly MV (1996) Valuing health care benefits in money terms. In: Sloan FA (ed) Valuing health care: costs, benefits, and effectiveness of pharmaceuticals and other medical technologies 99–124. Cambridge University Press, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Pliskin JS, Shepard DS and Weinstein MC (1979) Utility functions for life years and health status. Operations Research, 206–224

    Google Scholar 

  • Royal Society of Canada (2001) Report of an expert panel to review the socio-economic models and related components supporting the development of Canada Wide Standards for Particulate Matter and Ozone. Royal Society of Canada Ottawa

    Google Scholar 

  • Shephard DS, Zechhauser RJ (1984) Survival vs. consumption. Man Sci 30(4):423–439

    Google Scholar 

  • Skinner J (1985) Variable life span and the intertermporal elasticity of consumption. Rev Econ Stat 67(4):616–23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Statistics Canada (1995) Life tables, Canada and provinces, 1990–1992. Catalogue 84–537, Ottawa

    Google Scholar 

  • Tengs TO et al (1995) Five hundred life-saving interventions and their cost-effectiveness. Int J Risk Anal 15(3):369–390

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Usher D (1973) An imputation to the measure of economic growth for changes in life expectancy. In: (1994) National accounting and economic theory: the collected papers of Dan User 1:105–144. Edward Elgar Publ, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Viscusi WK (1996) Discounting health effects for medical decision. In: Sloan FA (ed) Valuing Health Care: Costs, benefits, and Effectiveness of Pharmaceuticals and other Medical Technologies 125–147. Cambridge University Press, UK

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2009 Springer-Verlag London Limited

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

(2009). Nuclear Safety. In: Engineering Decisions for Life Quality. Springer Series in Reliability Engineering. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-602-1_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-602-1_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-84882-601-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-84882-602-1

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics