Technological Hazard

The modern technologies offer to people electricity, food, entertainments, comfort, but also addition hazard or risk attributed to hazardous materials or technologies, like radioactive or toxic substances, high voltage or pressure.

The hazardous substances are present in communities around the world, mainly in industrial facilities and during its transportation via highways, rail and waterways. Accidents, including fires, explosions and leakages resulting in the release of these substances, can have adverse effects on human health, property and the environment. Human exposure to hazardous substances can cause injury or even death to a large number of people. Unfortunately, Bhopal chemical accident in 1984 http://www.bhopal.com and Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986 http://www.tesec-int.org/Chernobyl.htm are demonstrated high risk attributed to hazardous materials (HAZMAT), which have been released into environment.

Human exposure may occur directly through skin or eye contact, inhalation or ingestion of HAZMAT or for radioactive materials even without direct contact, due to distance radiation exposure.

Only knowledge about sources and nature of technological risk is the way for safety. This knowledge has to be submitted on the levels of:

· Industrial and transportation designers

· Operators and managers

· University professors and students

· Emergency service, medical doctors and mass-media

· General public and children

There are other types of technological hazard, related to: failure of public buildings, any interruption or loss of a utility service, power source, life support system, information system or equipment needed to keep the business in operation.

Chemical or radiological hazard could affect million of people, as demonstrated Bhopal chemical accident in 1984 and Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986, on distance many thousands kilometres, that is why are main subjects of our risk review.