Parts of the BGS are considering supplying risk assessment services. The Geo-Risk seminar provided a framework to develop an integrated service approach to understand what work is appropriate for BGS, what help we need, and who can best provide it.

Presentations and posters gave insight into the views of BGS staff and guests from academia, government and industry. Examples of geohazard and geo-risk assessment work were presented and views on where geologists fit into the risk assessment process were discussed.

Abstracts	Presentation Download	Lead author	Organisation
Introduction	Yes	J Walsby	BGS
Earthquake Risk in Europe	Yes	Dr B Baptie	BGS
Environmental Pollution Risk Ranking - ConSEPT	Yes	S Quigley	BGS
Groundwater – how risky is it?	Yes	A McKenzie	BGS
Hazard and risk in planning for development in England	Yes	Dr B Marker	Independent Consultant
Lesser Antilles: good communication in volcanic risk assessment	Yes	Dr J Barclay	UEA
Regulating risk – who knows what is (un)acceptable?	No	Prof P Nathanail	University of Nottingham
Risk assessment of offsite migration of landfill gas	Yes	T Vounaki	BGS
Shallow Geohazards and Risks	Yes	Dr T Cooper	BGS
BGR's role in geohazard / georisk assessment	Yes	Dr D Balzer	BGR
Volcanic Risk	Yes	Prof S Sparks	Bristol University
Poster Title	Poster Download	Lead author	Organisation
Communicating uncertainty: geomagnetic field estimates: directional drilling	Yes	S Macmillan	BGS
From geoscience data to hazard assessments and safer development	Yes	J Walsby	BGS
Geomagnetic hazards to the Scottish Power network	Yes	S Reay	BGS
Improving the understanding of the risk from groundwater flooding	Yes	D M J Macdonald	BGS
Long term volcanic hazards: volcano distribution databases: Japan	Yes	S Mahony	Bristol University
Role of BGS Enquiries involving risk to land/property	Yes	A Brown	BGS
Shrink-swell hazard assessment: spatial data; topsoil texture; volume change	Yes	L Jones	BGS
Volcanic Risk Reduction: Tristan da Cunha	Yes	Anna Coulbeck	UEA

Defining hazard and risk

An important part of the day was to identify if geoscientists, and others we may want to work with, have the same understanding of the terms hazard and risk. There was a general consensus but some concern over these terms being used interchangeably. Below are some example definitions for consideration:

Succinct definitions

In Hazards and Risks in the Workplace from Health, Environment & Work

Hazard — is the potential to cause harm
Risk — is the likelihood of harm
It is important to distinguish between hazard and risk.

Detailed definitions

In Hazards of Nature, Risks to Development from an Evaluation of World Bank Assistance for Natural Disasters

Hazard — A potentially damaging physical event, phenomenon, or human activity that may cause loss of life or injury, property damage, social and economic disruption, or environmental degradation.

Risk — The probability of harmful consequences, or expected losses (deaths, injuries, property and livelihood loss, economic activity disrupted or environment damaged) resulting from interactions between natural or human-induced hazards and vulnerable conditions.

Vulnerability — The conditions determined by physical, social, attitudinal, economic, and environmental factors or processes that increase the susceptibility of a community to the impact of hazards.

Risk analysis / assessment — A methodology to determine the nature and extent of risk by analyzing potential hazards and evaluating existing conditions of vulnerability that could pose a potential threat or harm to people, property, livelihoods, and the environment on which they depend.

Contact

Contact Matt Harrison, Head of Information Products for more information about the Geo-Risk Seminar or future BGS risk related work proposals.