As members of the safety science scientific community, we feel the need to issue a joint statement concerning the current Coronavirus-2019 pandemic. Our journal’s mission is to augment the information level of researchers, engineers and decision makers with up-to-date scientific discoveries in the safety science domain. As scientists in this domain, we committed our life in improving safety and in identifying and promoting solutions aimed at highlighting the importance of ensuring safety in all aspects of our society.
In the current situation, given the great consequences that safety-related policies can have on the society as a whole, it is even more important that decision-makers base their actions on science-based facts and research. In these times of great uncertainty, in which scientists themselves debate among different outcomes of the pandemic based on the current situation and projected predictions, a holistic science-based perspective is needed. In this context, where contrasting theories and analyses are present within and outside the scientific community, we advocate for policies which put safety, health and well-being of citizens first. In any situation, including the most exceptional scenarios like the current one we are living, human life should be considered a right and a key pillar of our society. We consider ethically acceptable only policies that put human life as a priority, and we feel that proposing approaches to this crisis based on economic trade-offs may turn out in compromising human rights.
The rapid spread of the epidemic has drawn our society and our world in a situation that is unprecedented and to which we all feel unprepared. As scientists involved in safety research, we remark that this scenario highlights the importance of safety and risk education promoting responsible behaviors in the population. As an immediate action we have issued a call for papers for a Special Issue on Safety and Co-Vid19, more information can be found here.
Prof Gudela Grote, ETH Zurich
Prof Stavroula Leka, University College Cork
Dr Olga Aneziri, NSRC Demokritos
Prof Juan Carlos Rubio Romero, Universidad de Malaga
Prof Genserik Reniers, TU Delft and Antwerp University
Dr Jean Christophe Le-Coze, INERIS
Prof Pedro Arezes, Universidade do Minho
Dr Aditya Jain, Nottingham University
Dr Ruggiero Lovreglio, Massey University
Dr Enrico Ronchi, Lund University
Dr Nikola Paltrinieri, NTNU
Prof Valerio Cozzani, Universita di Bologna
Prof Georgios Boustras, European University Cyprus