Relationships among Risk Assessment, Risk Perception and Acceptance Model of the Residents near Nuclear Power Plants in Japan

Yuichi Otsuka

Department of System safety, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan.

DOI: 10.4236/ojsst.2015.52005                

Abstract

This study aims at revealing the relationships among risk assessment result, risk perception model and risk acceptance model of the residents near nuclear power plants in Japan. Risk acceptance model is based on the trust of resident to nuclear power plants (NPPs) companies. The risk perception of the residents is very fragile and is not always based on objective technical knowledge. In addition, there are two models of risk acceptance: traditional trust model and salient value similarity model. In order to discuss the risk communication framework between NPPs with residents, applicability of two modes on the perception of the residents should be investigated. The author collected questionnaire from local resident near Kashiwazaki-Kariwa NPP in Niigata, Japan. Severity of risk is significantly affected by the extents of risks, not by amount of knowledge. Radiation relating hazard is normally evaluated higher risk. Risk acceptance level is significantly related to the factors of social benefits and trust to the NPPs company, not by regional interest nor amount of knowledge. Furthermore, value similarity model was not significant in this study. The results demonstrated that risk acceptance model of local residents near NPPs could be arranged by traditional trust model. In order to establish mutual trustworthy relationships between local residents and NPPs engineer, expert knowledge in nuclear power, communication skills, and expertise in safety are necessary to the engineers.

Keywords

Risk Assessment, Risk Perception, Risk Communication, Risk Acceptance Model

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	IAEA (1996) Defense in Depth in Nuclear SSAFETY (INSAG-10). IAEA, Vienna.
[2]	Slovic, P. (2000) The Perception of Risk. Earthscan Publishing Ltd., London.
[3]	Morgan, M.G., Fischhoff, B., Bostrom, A. and Cynthia J. Atman, C.J. (2001) Risk communication. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511814679
[4]	Nakayachi, K. and Cvetkovich, G. (2008) Trust of Risk Managers: An Integration of the SVS Model and the Traditional View of Trust. The Japanese Journal of Social Psychology, 23, 259-268.
[5]	ISO 14120:2002 (2002) Safety of Machinery—Guards—General Requirements for the Design and Construction of Fixed and Movable Guards.
[6]	Kimura, H., Furuta, K. and Suzuki, A. (2003) Psychological Factors Affecting Public Acceptance of Nuclear Energy: Comparative Analysis Focusing on Regional Characteristics and Degree of Knowledge Prasad. Transactions of the Atomic Energy Society of Japan, 2, 379-388.
[7]	Yagi, E., Takahashi,S. and Kitamura, M. (2007) Clarification of Nuclear Risk Recognition Scheme through Dialogue Forum. Transactions of the Atomic Energy Society of Japan, 6, 126-140.
[8]	Huang, L., Zhou, Y., Han, Y.T., Hammitt, J.K., Bi, J. and Liu, Y. (2013) Effect of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident on the Risk Perception of Residents near a Nuclear Power Plant in China. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 110, 19742-19747. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1313825110