9. Glossary

Kinetics

Speed at which events in an accident sequence occur, from the initiating event to the consequences on vulnerable elements.

Danger

Intrinsic property of a substance, a technical system, an arrangement, an organism, etc. likely to cause damage to a "vulnerable element".

Probability

The probability of occurrence of an accident is assimilated to its estimated future frequency of occurrence at the facility in question.

Risk

Possibility of damage resulting from exposure to the effects of a hazardous phenomenon. In the specific context of "technological risk", risk is, for a given accident, the combination of the probability of occurrence of a feared event and the severity of its consequences on vulnerable elements....