Aspects of the historical, philosophical and mathematical background to the statutory management of nuclear plant risks in the United Kingdom

There is an ancient but extant school of philosophy which asserts that the only reality is change and another, more recent and also current, which holds that the causes of the future must already exist and can be observed and analysed scientifically. The two are combined in a theme which examines the impact of modern technology upon Western society especially in respect of atomic energy and its regulation, consequent developments in safety and the emerging new role of the engineer. Qualitative and quantitative methods of risk assessment are discussed from the viewpoint of epistemology and a synthesis combining elements of both in a systematic approach to hazard management is suggested. Finally, it is noted that problems arising from the interaction of technology, society and politics may not be soluble by mathematical logic alone. (author)