Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-8kt4b Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-29T17:37:34.268Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A risk related value of spend for saving a statistical life

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 June 2005

D. Jackson
Affiliation:
Enviros, The Shore, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6RA, UK e-mail: duncan.jackson@enviros.com; david.stone@enviros.com
D. Stone
Affiliation:
Enviros, The Shore, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6RA, UK e-mail: duncan.jackson@enviros.com; david.stone@enviros.com
G. G. Butler
Affiliation:
University of Manchester Environment Centre, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK e-mail gregg.butler@btinternet.com
G. McGlynn
Affiliation:
British Nuclear Fuels plc, 1100 Daresbury Park, Daresbury, Warrington WA4 4GB, UK e-mail gace.mcglynn@bnfl.com
Get access

Abstract

A risk related Value of Spend for Saving a Statistical Life (VSSSL) is proposed for cost-benefit studies across the power generation sector, and the nuclear industry in particular. An upper bound on VSSSL is set based on the UK government standard of around £1M or, in particular circumstances, £2M and the observation that excessive spend (probably of the order of more than £5M per statistical life) will cost lives. Above a risk of 10-3 a-1 it is assumed that VSSSL approaches a value around £2M (broad range £1M to £5M). At risks around 10-6 a-1 it is proposed that an appropriate VSSSL lies at £0.5M (range £0.25M to £1M). Where risks to the individual fall to the order of 10-9 a-1, or less, a low residual VSSSL of £0.01M is applied. A practical example is explored with respect to radiological protection where a total collective dose determination is disaggregated to resolve broad bands of individual exposure, and hence risk. Where collective doses are dominated by individual doses no more than a few μSv, the detriment arising from a manSv can be valued at about £15k to £60k, which can have a major effect on cost-benefit approaches to spend decisions.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)