Comparative risks of electricity generating systems

Comparative studies of the risks of electricity generating systems show that nuclear power is safer than electricity from coal or oil, taking account of each system as a whole. The comparison must not suppress issues of real significance to decision makers, who might, for example, weigh in different ways, accidental deaths, occupational cancers, and small probabilities of potential major events. The conclusion is often met with surprise or scepticism. The reasons are examined. They bring out both the differential attitudes of sectors of the public to various risks, and the nature of decision-making about public and occupational risk. (author)