4. Conclusion

Risk is associated with all human and industrial activities, as well as with the natural environment. While some risks have diminished as a result of scientific progress in particular, others have appeared, linked to more recent activities (biotechnologies, nuclear industry, etc.). Some risks (domestic risks, road accidents) seem to be better tolerated than others, which are much more spectacular and one-off, such as the bursting of a dam or the explosion of a chemical plant. The latter, described as "major", are characterized by low frequency and extreme severity.

Risk, once a scourge and a calamity, is now an integral part of contemporary society, and goes hand in hand with increased safety requirements for the general public and employees in particular, greater transparency in risk information, the search for responsibility and the demand for compensation....