Boustras, Georgios

Traditionally, the twin topics of safety and security have been addressed as discrete and separate entities at government, corporate and professional levels. This conceptual separation into de facto silos, typically reinforced by legislative boundaries as well as by practical issues, professional interests and dominant experience, has led to security in its broadest sense being addressed differently and by different functions, disciplines, protocols, and outlooks than those dealing with safety and health. A consequence of this separateness has been that various impacts on both public and occupational safety-and-health from key areas of security threats, for example global warming consequences, terrorism, radicalization, hate crimes, white collar crime, cyber-crime, economic crime, and trafficking, frequently have been overlooked. These developing security risks have an impact on infrastructure as well as the general public, the occupational environment and the employee (Nilsen et al., 2017). This article reviews the main factors linking ‘safety’ and ‘security’, their interfaces and interactions, and considers implications for both public and corporate policy in required responses to safety and security issues. The article concludes that greater integration of ‘safety’ and ‘security’ is warranted in theoretical, empirical, policy, and practitioner, evaluations and programs, at both state and corporate levels.

Aim: to understand how wildfire risk policies are designed to mitigate1 the impacts of wildfires. Wildfires are a growing threat in many parts of the world, posing significant risks to human life, and the environment. In recent years, wildfires have increased, driven largely by climate change, human activity, and changes in land-use patterns. Wildfire risk adaptation and mitigation measures vary widely between countries and regions around the world. Therefore, it is essential to develop a comprehensive policy approach to mitigate wildfire risks and promote sustainable forest and land management practices. This article aims to provide insight into wildfire policies, implementation actions, and their effectiveness by describing wildfire policies centered mainly on exclusion and wildfire risk mitigation. Methodology: the article examines existing wildfire-related policies and relevant literature based on 10 systematic factors. Further exploring how these policies can be enhanced to meet the challenges of the coming years for six European countries (Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, UK) as well as Australia, Canada, USA, and South Africa. Results: The status quo, perceived strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations from key-informants were presented to enhance wildfire policies in each country. Conclusions: The article analyses current wildfire policies in fire-prone countries, highlighting regional variations and the need for an integrated management strategy. It offers country-specific recommendations based on the participants viewpoints, for coordinated efforts to mitigate wildfire risks and promote sustainable forest management.