Welcome to the Website for the Workshop

Risk Analysis: Fundamental Concepts, Applications and Controversies

and

Online Tools for Risk-based Decision making

To be held at the Society for Risk Analysis - Europe Annual Conference

17 June 2007 at the World Forum Conference Center

The Hague, The Netherlands

To register for this workshop please contact workshop coordinator Dr. Martin Clauberg

Workshop Overview

Participants are asked to to bring laptop computers

WS1: Risk Analysis: Fundamental Concepts, Applications and Controversies. 9:00 - 12:30 (Course Outline)

Meetings and publications of the Society for Risk Analysis can be daunting to newcomers. More generally, risk analysis incorporates and spans many disciplines. It is often difficult for people, even those who work on some topic within risk analysis - be it toxicology, terrorist threat assessment or human behaviour - to understand how their work fits into the risk analysis "big picture." Likewise, disciplinary training does not prepare people to understand, much less converse with, fellow practitioners. This workshop, taught by experts with extensive histories in practice, government and academia, is designed to fill that gap. We introduce fundamental risk analysis concepts, terminology, applications and calculations. The workshop is suitable for first time Society for Risk Analysis Meeting attendees, as well as all individuals new to risk analysis and those who have been involved in only a limited aspect of risk analysis. Participants should have an undergraduate degree in an area relevant to risk analysis, and / or relevant work experience. Upon completion of this course, students will understand the origins, applications and controversies surrounding risk analysis. They will be prepared to evaluate risk analysis reports and presentations. Most importantly, they will be prepared to engage comfortably in the range of conversations that distinguish Society for Risk Analysis conferences.

WS2: Online Tools for Risk-based Decision making. 13:30 - 17:00 (Course Outline)

This training course will provide an introduction to the use and contents of the "top" online environmental risk assessment tools. The course will be in both lecture format and hands-on training of select online tools. In addition to the lecture, each recipient will receive a CD-ROM containing the user guide files, the software (if downloadable), and links to the websites. All the online tools being discussed are free to the general public. This course will explain the intended uses of these sites as well as the assumptions in the programming not readily apparent. The topics will cover everything from GIS data assessment to risk characterization. This course will be an excellent learning opportunity for environmental risk assessors, risk managers, project managers, toxicologists, environmental engineers, and regulators.

Both WS1 and WS2 are introductory in nature and will rely on a lecture format. However, WS2 will also provide opportunities for hands-on methods tutorials and detailed instruction on the tools presented. Each workshop is designed for a half day. By offering the workshops consecutively, however, participants could attend both workshops and thus receive a full day of training.
WS1 and WS2 will distribute the lecture slides (as PowerPoint note pages) and supporting materials, as needed. WS2 will in addition distribute a CD-ROM with programs and tools that are available from online sources.

Workshop presenters include

Dr. David M. Hassenzahl

Dr. David M. Hassenzahl Chairs the Department of Environmental Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, as well as the Education Committee for the Society for Risk Analysis. He is co-author of the well-known risk analysis textbook Should We Risk It? Exploring Environmental, Health and Technological Problem Solving, has written numerous papers on risk analysis topics, and maintains the Risk Analysis Teaching and Learning Website.

Mr. Fred Dolislager

Fred G. Dolislager is a Senior Research Associate at the University of Tennessee (UT) for The Institute for Environmental Modeling (TIEM). He is the program manger for the UT Risk Assessment Information System (RAIS) internet site. Secondary functions include development of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Superfund internet calculators (radPRG, rad DCC, rad SSL, SSL, RAL, eco RAD, BPRG, SPRG, etc.) and support of human health risk assessment models used in Spatial Analysis and Decision Assistance (SADA) software. His research efforts are focused on applying risk management practices to ensure implementation of effective and innovative environmental restoration techniques at hazardous waste.


Dr. Martin Clauberg

Dr. Martin Clauberg is a Lecturer in the University of Tennessee Department of Civil & Environmental Enginnering and a consulting scientist with The Instititue for Environmental Modeling. He is co-author of the recent book Comparative Risk Assessment: Concepts, Problems, and Applications. In addition to his academic teaching, Dr. Clauberg has initiated and taught numerous short-courses and continuing education courses in risk and health assessment for private, state, and federal employees. He has performed or managed many human health risk assessments for the US DOE, DOD, and the private sector both nationally and internationally. His advanced degree and successful research in Biochemistry reflects an understanding of the toxicology and chemistry of contaminants. Research interests focus on development of tools for programmatic and strategic risk analysis improving both risk assessment and risk communication. Dr. Clauberg is involved in international collaborative projects with the German Federal Research Center, Juelich (Forschungszentrum Juelich), Programme Group MUT-INB where he is part of an interdisciplinary team of researchers dealing with programmatic efforts to provide aid to regulators and industry decisionmakers to better manage current and future risks.

Workshop fees

WS1 - 225 Euros - if paid before May 15th, and 300 Euros after May 15th.This includes coffee breaks and handout materials.

WS2 - 225 Euros - if paid before May 15th, and 300 Euros after May 15th.This includes coffee breaks, handout materials, and a CD-ROM disk.

Reduced combined WS1 + WS2 cost: If registering for both WS1 and WS2 together, combined fee is 400 Euros before May 15th, and 550 Euros after May 15th.This includes coffee breaks, handout materials, CD-ROM disk, PLUS a catered lunch.

Registration and Additional Information

You may register or request additional information on WS-1 and WS-2 by contacting Dr. Martin Clauberg directly at clauberg@utk.edu. Payments should be made to the SRA-E Conference Organizing Office using the conference registration form.