Search

Technological disasters are rarely just events limited to a specific space or time but are more often part of a process of decisions leading to the disaster and occurring after the disaster. The Exxon Valdez oil spill is a good example because preventive and cleanup efforts were undermined by ineffective contingency plans and reduction in necessary staff both on the oil tanker and in the Coast Guard to cut costs. The process of planning disaster prevention needs to be better understood so that adequate policies can be devised to prevent and respond to a technological disaster.