Risk Tolerance – 10 Influencing Factors of Risk Acceptance

(Safety and Wellness Week Session 5)

Why do workers take risks? What is it about us humans that compels us to take risks? What is it that influences our decisions, whether at work or off the job, on how much risk is acceptable?

Our speaker Dave Fennell, led a research project on this topic and identified how our brain processes hazards and risks. He will demonstrate that risk acceptance is a normal part of being human but that we need to recognize this trait so that we can prevent incidents and injuries. The research identified the 10 influencing factors that impact our decisions on how much risk is acceptable. Dave will describe each of these factors, show us how to recognize them in our workplace (and off the job), and will provide practical guidance and strategies on what we can do to reduce risk to acceptable levels. Simple tools and approaches will be provided that can be used with existing safety systems at UCalgary.

Speaker: Dave Fennell, Dave Fennell Safety Inc