Abstract
When we obtain public acceptance for the peaceful use of atomic power, one way is to compare the radiation risks with other various risks, for example risks from occupational or daily-life accidents. In the present paper, the fatality risks from accidents in various leisure sports and accidents in daily life were assessed during the period of 1981-1989.
The risks were calculated as the ratio of the number of deaths to the population of all Japan or the population that participated in each leisure sport, respectively. The average actual death numbers per year during 1981-1989 examined were 413 in fishing and 387 in swimming at sea, the risk being 1.0×10-5 and 2.5×10-5, as expressed in participated population. The most dangerous sport is sky-diving from a paraglider or parachute, although the actually participated population is very small. The average risk is about 1.0×10-5 in all leisure sports, 1.1×10-5 in aquatics, 6.4×10-6 in land sports and 4.0×10-5 in aerosports.
These risks were compared with fatality risks from occupational accidents (8.5×10-5), car accidents (1.0×10-4) and the accidents at home (5.0×10-5) as well as cancer risk per Sv proposed by ICRP.
