Book excerpt: Floods and fires, food safety, hazardous materials, infectious diseases, and many other threats to public health and the environment call for ongoing public alertness. However, the ways in which these safety risks are currently assessed and managed fall short in addressing the uncertainties of future threats. In this vital report, the Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy provides an exhaustive overview of the political, economic, and ethical dimensions of various risks and the safety policies aimed at reducing them.