In a biologic situation where we're dealing with infectious organisms, organisms that may multiply, dose-response is a little bit harder to quantify than if you're just dealing with a chemical agent that does not proliferate. We often find it more useful to use a failure event analysis where we consider the probability of the event occurring before considering the dose-response model. This model gives an overview of the risk analysis process that I just described. It shows that risk assessment and risk management are two separate processes. However, there needs to be interaction and communication between the two processes in order to have a successful outcome.
Risk assessment provides the tools and options to the decision makers.
It is the responsibility of the risk manager to evaluate the outcomes and make the decision. Risk communication is represented by a separate box with arrows that extends through the whole process. In order to have a good outcome, risk communication should be part of the entire process from start to finish. You may not succeed if you wait until after a decision is made before you consider how you will communicate the decision to affected parties. There are a variety o different methods for doing risk assessment.