Technical risk as a legal problem

Technical risks embrace such cases as bursting of pressure vessels and pipelines, fracture of electric cables or transport accidents by rail, road or air. An individual technical risk is defined as the product of the probability of incidence multiplied by the consequence of the accident. Where personal accidents are concerned, every case is an individual problem. Difficulties are encountered in computing the total risk in a complex environment. Examples are given of permissible technical risks in various fields where legal safeguards have already been imposed supported by references. The conclusions emphasise that risk is an essential component of any industrial enterprise. Legal safeguards may only be related to the state of science and technology current at the time of the assessment so that meaningful analyses may be undertaken. (G.C.)