Skadebegrensende

Skadebegrensende is a Norwegian term that refers to actions, measures, or strategies aimed at limiting the damage or harm resulting from an incident. The word derives from skade (damage) and begrense (to limit).

The core idea of skadebegrensning is to reduce the severity and consequences of adverse events, rather than or in addition to preventing the event itself. It encompasses planning, rapid response, containment, recovery, and adaptation to lessen losses for people, property, the environment, and operations. The concept is applied across sectors and scales, from individual safety to national emergency management.

Common applications include safety engineering (installing barriers, safety interlocks, and redundant systems), environmental protection (containment of spills and rapid cleanup), public health and harm reduction (measures that minimize health risks and social harm), and information security and disaster recovery (network segmentation, backups, and incident response). In emergency planning, skadebegrensende tiltak focus on containment, rapid evacuation, and continuity of critical services.

Implementation typically involves risk assessment, setting prioritised mitigation actions, training, resource allocation, and coordination among organizations. Effectiveness is evaluated through indicators such as reduced incident impact, faster recovery times, and lower total losses. The concept is closely related to risk management, mitigation, and resilience, serving as a complement to preventive measures by aiming to minimise damage when risks materialize.

See also: risk management, mitigation, resilience, harm reduction.