Nuclear and non-nuclear accident consequences

The article addresses the question of calculated individual risk, conditional on being directly downwind of an accident, for both nuclear and chemical accidents. Actuarial data for chemical and nuclear accidents are discussed, as well as non-nuclear man-caused accidents. A probability plot of individual risk downwind of chemical and nuclear accidents is presented, and a compiled list is given of the non-military man-caused catastrophes which have caused more than 1,000 deaths 1887-1987. As a final comment a number of interesting parallels are drawn between the Chernobyl and Zeebrugge ferry accidents. (U.K.)