Dodgingreducing

Dodgingreducing is a term used in risk management and safety engineering to describe an integrated approach that combines avoidance of hazards with the reduction of potential adverse impacts. The concept centers on designing systems and processes that both bypass risky conditions when feasible and lessen the consequences when avoidance is incomplete.

The term is not standardized to a single formal framework, but appears in various safety and disaster-risk discussions as a shorthand for balancing two complementary strategies: dodging hazards through design changes, substitutions, or relocation, and reducing exposure or damage through controls, redundancy, and preparedness. It is applied across industries and sectors, including manufacturing, urban planning, software reliability, and public health.

Core principles of dodgingreducing include proactive hazard assessment, layered controls, and a focus on resilience. Decisions weigh the costs and benefits of avoidance versus reduction, aiming to minimize residual risk while maintaining feasibility and efficiency. Continuous monitoring and feedback loops are used to adjust strategies as conditions evolve.

Common techniques encompass avoidance measures (process redesign, material substitution, zoning away from hazards), reduction measures (engineering controls, redundancy, safety barriers, training, incident reporting, and emergency planning). Together these methods seek to lower both the likelihood and the impact of adverse events.

Limitations of the approach include the reality that some hazards cannot be dodged, and excessive emphasis on avoidance may incur high costs or reduce flexibility. It is often complemented by other risk-management concepts such as risk assessment, mitigation planning, and resilience engineering.