C+C |
Cooper and Caulcott Ltd
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The "risk scale" introduced below is similar to the "Richter Scale"
for earthquakes. Please note that this page is under development and so some references are not yet supplied. Note that depending on the source of the information there are some contradictions (e.g. lightning). |
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Event
|
Risk value
|
Probability
(1 in ...) |
Reference
|
|
|
Death at some time |
9.0 |
1 |
We all die |
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|
Russian Roulette |
8.2 |
6 |
1 out of six barrels contains a bullet |
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|
1 in ten |
8.0 |
10 |
. |
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|
Death in any one year |
7.1 |
80 |
Average life expectancy in the west is about 80 years. |
|
|
1 in a hundred |
7.0 |
100 |
. |
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|
Smoking 10 cigarettes a day |
6.7 |
200 |
OPCS, 1986 |
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|
Heart disease |
6.5 |
300 |
OPCS, 1986 |
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Car accident - young male |
6.5 |
300 |
. |
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|
Fishing |
6.1 |
800 |
HSE, 1982 |
|
|
Death from natural causes when aged 40 |
6.1 |
850 |
OPCS, 1986 |
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|
1 in a thousand |
6.0 |
1000 |
. |
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Hang Gliding |
5.8 |
1500 |
OPCS, 1986 |
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Alcohol |
5.7 |
2000 |
. |
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All accidents |
5.5 |
3000 |
OPCS, 1986 |
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|
One day's Mountain climbing |
5.5 |
3000 |
. |
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Breast cancer |
5.4 |
4000 |
. |
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Radon (Cornwall resident) |
5.4 |
4063 |
. |
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Taking illegal drugs |
5.3 |
5000 |
. |
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Being mugged |
5.3 |
5000 |
. |
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UK Coal miner |
5.2 |
6000 |
HSE, 1982 |
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Male suicide |
5.2 |
6250 |
. |
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|
Road Accident |
5.1 |
8000 |
OPCS, 1986 |
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Working in a dangerous industry |
5.1 |
8000 |
. |
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|
travelling 10,000 km by car |
5.0 |
9091 |
. |
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Construction worker |
5.0 |
10000 |
HSE, 1982 |
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Accident in the home |
5.0 |
10000 |
. |
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1 in ten thousand |
5.0 |
10000 |
. |
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Being Burgled |
5.0 |
10000 |
. |
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Leukaemia |
4.9 |
12500 |
OPCS, 1986 |
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Car accident - all ages |
4.8 |
15000 |
. |
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Natural Radon |
4.7 |
20000 |
. |
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Female suicide |
4.7 |
20000 |
. |
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Playing football |
4.6 |
25000 |
OPCS, 1986 |
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|
Accident at home |
4.6 |
26000 |
OPCS, 1986 |
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Drowning |
4.5 |
30000 |
HSE, 1982 |
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Skin cancer |
4.5 |
30000 |
. |
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Natural background radiation |
4.4 |
40000 |
OPCS, 1986 |
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Radiation workers |
4.2 |
57000 |
HSE, 1982; OPCS, 1986 |
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Side effects of medical radiation |
4.2 |
60000 |
. |
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|
Poisoning |
4.0 |
100000 |
HSE, 1982 |
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|
falling down stairs |
4.0 |
100000 |
. |
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1 in a hundred thousand |
4.0 |
100000 |
. |
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Death from Fire Ant Sting
|
5.0
|
1 in 100,000
|
New Scientist, 17 Nov
2001 page 22.
"In the US millions of people are stung each year [by Red Fire Ants]. In 1984 alone, over 100 died." |
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Murder |
3.8 |
160000 |
OPCS, 1986 |
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Ecstacy |
3.8 |
166667 |
. |
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Pregnancy |
3.7 |
200000 |
. |
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Meningitis |
3.6 |
250000 |
. |
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Cosmic rays from a 10 hours flight |
3.5 |
300000 |
. |
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travelling 10,000 km by train |
3.5 |
294118 |
. |
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Being Murdered |
3.3 |
500000 |
. |
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|
Natural disaster |
3.3 |
500000 |
HSE, 1982 |
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1 in a million |
3.0 |
1000000 |
. |
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Lightning death |
2.7 |
2000000 |
HSE, 1982 |
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Lightning death |
2.0 |
2000000 |
OPCS, 1986 |
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1 in ten million |
2.0 |
10000000 |
. |
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Fumes from filling your car up with petrol (4 hours per year) |
2.0 |
10000000 |
. |
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A given ticket winning the lottery |
1.9 |
14000000 |
. |
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Death from a dangerous dog |
1.7 |
20000000 |
. |
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Visiting a theme park |
1.6 |
25000000 |
HSE, 1982; OPCS, 1986 |
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1 in a hundred million |
1.0 |
100000000 |
. |
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Beef on the bone |
0.0 |
1000000000 |
. |
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1 in a billion |
0.0 |
1000000000 |
. |
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© 2001 Neill S
Cooper
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