Environmental Proiortkjn Agency  1989
     DC
Seven Cardinal
Rules of Risk
Communication

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Accept and involve
the public as a legitimate
partner

A Kink et tlul
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G«ld ifiri:
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             If von arc j
ttul ye« nwfe tot Che pubK  H
da twt wini. for the j^vcrnmctr!, ihr
t'liini in L\ M i MI!
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                                                        Plan carefully  and
                                                        evaluate your efforts
                                                            cofnmutnu'Jitkvi wnfi
                                                                 only j* (jrrtuih
                                                            ,
                                                                              to
                                                        or
                                                                           i& irffwrr^'ft., .
                                                                       sin-
                                                                                     IP
                                                       four JUaiwfKV Ajm yuur
                                                       utrtmtHi i* ,L:IVI", 4: v^vif
                                                       in ivur ,MiJK-ncc, Rntuif
                                                                    who
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                                                             '. wv>*r*d  then- jnr Bum
                                                                    with iK own uitrh •
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Listen to the public's
specific concerns

W you 'do no? fasten to proptf ,
cannot fspect them fe fefen
CoHununicahwi is j twit-way *,r
Guidelines: Do- rti«!
       ihmk. or want donr atvul
    i-. Take tho lime tin dpnJ H.-UJ
       ate ihurtkrrtg: us*1
     a*, interview K \ 1 u 1 : •          .in J
         lj?l :-A\ p.irin.". I:  •: '    Sin
  ,!,-...- ,-,-• ,:-•;,. I ;..   i • In  . • i . i  I •
hi'.i r J . Idcntily iv i 111 yiHi r 1 1 1 < 1 1- • 1 1 1 •
and fry lo pu.' yourself in lln-n  p-m ••
Rot'Ogn btc peopie's ^nipEiciiw  |.,ul
     lo know i hot ymi uncisimliindl
     (hey said, addressing lllc'ir
         as
                J-
          .ind bmadrr i'i r 1 1 1 • i M i .  < i
        fOrt-;- '     <-•> (hjl i^'
        .irnj complkitEp the tjsk til
Poml b> Omsidt-r
m Peopk m ihecomtnwittv «nr titan
oitire conomied about suds taw
tmct. cm£faifilyr c»onipgfa>r^g,
                     EMHTM.
                       dun dbmit
                     ilir Jrydt ^
Be honest frank,
and  open
In
                  tisi
f • ui Jrl ificv Male VCTIT -credrnlLiK
Imi ck* ci  . . • •  i expect u> l
by ihr piuNif  ll you do not kncn-
     ^r ar jrt- uncertain „ fo\
     H> pi
            ,  - i  i v1'- -'li-l
     'ii -.-.t1^ — including the one*-
          hy other cretirl
         n»r>f-cj'^ estimates as Mich.
     t'tEt1- riHgus u* risk
        Qmsaden
V  I fit*" 4Qo cwdJwWj? tine uuticuit
fifctaflu CJnce ktot tfarf are
                                                          Coordinate and
                                                          collaborate wrtfi other
                                                          credible sources

                                                          AHii** i j.n ix- effective in helping,
                                                                   i; Taku bme ED cocirdiTi.il>
                                                                -i * TL.;,ir:,/.'il;r
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               Consult t»TJh e&
to determine IB h
                       rtkk . Try to
               rafioM fomftr
other irostiwDctfnr >o«r(
cwsmpie. credibfe iichrcnitv
        - phyiiciim. or trotted
      cpf
 ufftozb).

      to Cansider
* Few thing? make :
                 ^n •!•!       i .m
         or public disagri-'  <     with
other tTt'dFblk
 Meet the  needs of
 the media

Tin1 iri.'Jhi ..ire a prime1 ti.ni-.inii1. i «•
inliirrnaltnn rr  n-,- - .  I .
    • .5! role m netting dj*efwlLi<. 4*nJ in
                              Ihrtt
Guidelines: Be open with
          lo usepcw
       13-. Provide n>k
        (i» the need.-
media ifcrcum|«lc, p
                            -rtd
other visual aids Bar li*k
        in advene? and ptm^fc-
          d iifcifii in! on (uui^iin
             :  :  -.:. :_ :.  •
un vtucie^ frith pcabe w cniicwm. **
warranted. TIT to establish
t«LitjQct*Jup* of trust
      Jo
* The media are fretjuenlly mun*
interested in pofiacs thjii
rt'.-n: incetvstfil in Mmplutlv than in
etHTipk'xity; mote ir:       I in
 I -i, XT Hvin  in ••••.
Speak dearly and
with compassion

Technical language and priori
tftcjr or barriers to SMxxssful
. I r-r- ll.i  •• ,,-,. ri-, |':1l 1 1 |-.,', ,|> i'
cxpr*     =   i. i-.,  fij-cir, iinsL'T,
•.nili.ii,!. . !•••  «•!• "•!'• ^-- Ai kn.
JLITiJ  K'>;':-n.' h. the JJMr,
Ihr public vk-w's as tnnporlant in
    • uilmft n        .
              Eanulianty, Jrcj
      (rutural or man-made).
        fjir-       ^J
        I  LM> risk canqxansons  to
                jp*fsp«\-:
                                                           avow cn
                                                           dM»ction«. that
                                                                             try to
                                                                     ol ^t »•.•*«. tiiat are
                                                           w«y «¥ «n be taken. T*-D
                                                                               P imnt**; ontjr
                                                                VIHI can do. and b*? sun? In da
                                                           what vou
                                                                 lu
                                                                        of huw well
                                                                        risk inkurnarjum,
                                                                  Will mil bv s: i    .!
                                                           •  -          'in UMrtH CM iiuarm
                                                            •  |  -•-  il  -;il uskrt prt-M-'i! '.I- 1, I  .....
                                                                           anci saying — t

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     illness, injury, or efcaifi is ;\>t        "
          the uieit'f uf Q
              (Jrc 5K^. /lW.ffr is
             f Office af Policy Analysis
at the Eiafirmtmtntai
            EPA IfM.
       i.'.l!  as a
ttt !^N^I fric ^wrrfirrrct1 s^riu^d Iv
will necessarily piinf faint (tif? 1
Thf JFHlfoDrS  invite \nr\tr

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