Company Overview

In 1982, the Institute for Risk Research (IRR) was established to conduct research into risk management and to establish a knowledge base to assist Canadian government, public and industry in risk management decisions and policies. IRR's mission is: 'To promote safety for Canadians by improving the understanding of risk and risk policy decisions'.

The IRR functions as a network of over 170 members with a wide expertise base in diverse areas such as environmental studies, toxicology, philosophy, engineering, biology and so forth. By drawing on its membership, the Institute can successfully address current risk policy issues which are often characterized by being interdisciplinary, having high levels of uncertainty and involving social and political judgments.

IRR conducts, under contract or grant, original studies of specific issues of risk assessment, risk communication or risk management. Typical IRR studies are:

development of a risk assessment methodology; provision of a risk estimate as input to an actual risk management decision; or development of risk communication materials. All IRR projects must be consistent with the Institute's mission and objectives. The Institute does not take on routine consulting work. All IRR projects have some novel research aspect. However, the IRR will engage in work that does not have a large research component if it provides an opportunity to address issues of public interest that require 'independent' treatment. Most IRR projects are multi- disciplinary in nature, and many include collaboration with IRR members from outside the University of Waterloo.

To maintain its role as an 'independent' and 'credible' advisor on risk issues, the Institute has strict policies on publication and peer review. All Final Reports are copyrighted by the Institute for Risk Research and become public documents published by the IRR. In special circumstances, publication of a report is delayed until its presentation at a scheduled public hearing or forum. Any IRR report with public policy implications and all IRR reports resulting from contract research undergo peer review by an independent panel of two or three IRR members.

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Legal Name: Institute for Risk Research, University of Waterloo

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• Development Of A Framework And Index To Evaluate Health And Safety Pliancy.

  IRR has examined general pliancy areas. For example, Drs. Niels Lind, Jatin Nathwani, and Ernest Siddall developed an analysis framework for better resource allocation in characterizing and managing risks in the public interest (Lind et al., 1991) and then applied the framework to energy production (Nathwani et al., 1992). The framework employs indicators of social well being developed by the United Nations. Subsequent work by Nathwani and Pandey has lead to the refinement of the life-quality approach. We have made continuous improvement in reaching our goal of having a rational, workable and acceptable method for expressing the Public Interest in issues such as: nuclear energy; siting of chemical plants; safety of consumer products; and provision of health care.

• Environmental Products And Services
• Integrated Approach To Hazardous And Solid Waste Management.

  In 1992, the Canadian Battery Manufacturer's Association funded IRR to undertake an independent investigation into the impacts of used household battery disposal and management practices on the environment, including an evaluation of the potential risks associated with the identified options. Dr. Murray Haight lead the interdisciplinary IRR team that produced the report 'Assessing the Environmental Effects of Disposal Alternatives for Household Batteries'. The report discusses the issues relating to used dry-cell battery disposal practices, their potential impacts on the environment, the potential risks to humans, and offers recommendations for what is considered as acceptable disposal practices for used household batteries. In 1991, Dr. Daniel Duah completed a risk-cost-benefit assessment of the economic and environmental implications of the toxic/hazardous waste trade on West Africa while on a World Bank Fellowship. His pliancy report 'The Economic and Environmental Implications of the Hazardous Waste Trade on West Africa' presents the results of an investigation of the potential environmental and economic impacts to developing communities from indiscriminate disposal of hazardous wastes; the special focus is on West Africa. The investigation was designed to provide the necessary tools to help answer the question: 'Should the toxic/hazardous waste trade be encouraged, and under what terms or circumstances should it be approved?' Another important contribution to waste management is the IRR publication 'Municipal Solid Waste Management: Making Decisions in the Face of Uncertainty'. This volume is intended to assist those involved in the decision-making process for municipal solid waste management in selecting effective, integrative management strategies. The various options (landfilling, combustion and the 3 Rs) are evaluated from risk assessment and risk management perspectives. The heal th and environmental risks, economic implications, principles of operation and future directions of each of these municipal solid waste management strategies are explored. The contributions are from various professions including industry, government departments, consultants and academia. Their treatment of the issues addresses the needs of other professionals as well as those of the public in general.

• Provision Of Comprehensive, Probabilistic Risk Assessment Methods Application Of Risk Communication Framework For Risk Analysis

  In 1994, Drs. John Shortreed, Frank Saccomanno of the University of Waterloo and Dr. Stephen Ramsay of the University of Western Ontario completed a comprehensive, probabilistic transportation risk assessment study for the Alberta Special Waste Management System.

  The report documents the risks of transporting wastes to the Swan Hills Treatment Centre of Chem-Security (Alberta) Ltd./Lte. In the study, the IRR introduced a number of innovative risk analysis and risk management techniques that attempted to provide decision-makers (in this case Alberta's Natural Resources Conservation Board) with a basis for the assessment of risks including the effects of changes in operating procedures, changes in travel routes, and changes in waste composition. The risk analysis innovations described in the contract report include;

  Accurate representation of the waste streams, avoiding the use of 'worst case' assumptions Analysis of accident rates based on estimates for individual road sections using a province wide accident analysis Development of a family of consequence models that can deal with many waste streams and many different accident situations Presentation of the risk analysis in a 'risk communication' framework (i. e. 10 key questions Albertans wanted answered) Use of probabilistic analysis rather than expected value analysis

• Risk Assessment Of Dioxin And Furan Emissions (detailed Multi-pathway Exposure Assessment Of Environmental Airborne Emissions).

  In March 1995, Dr. John Hicks of Ryerson Polytechnic University and Dr. Steve McColl of the University of Waterloo completed an 'Exposure Assessment of Airborne Dioxins and Furans Emitted from the EDC/VCM Facility at the Dow Chemical Canada Fort Saskatchewan Site' to determine the potential for human health effects on populations in the vicinity of the plant. Exposure was estimated from dispersion modelling and consideration of background exposure from environmental and food sources. The IRR report also discusses the difficulties in assessing human health effects given the controversy regarding dioxin toxicity. The exposure resulting from the plant was compared to background sources and regulatory exposure standards. In April 1994, Dr. John Hicks of Ryerson Polytechnic University and Dr. Steve McColl of the University of Waterloo completed a contract on 'Risk Assessment of Dioxin & Furan Emissions from the Elk Falls Power Boiler'. This study evaluates the health risk to local populations from exposure to airborne emissions of dioxins and furans from the No. 5 power boiler at the Fletcher Challenge Canada pulpmill in Elk Falls, British Columbia. The study was co-funded by: Natural Resources Canada (Program on Energy Research and Development); Environment Canada; and Health Canada. The IRR work has lead to a subsequent research contract with Health Canada to examine 'Probabilistic Risk Assessment and Uncertainty Analysis of Emissions of PCBs, PAHs, and PM10 from the Elk Falls Power Boiler'.

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