Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [safety]

The balance of benefit versus harm of an activity, device, technology or substance.

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Seat belts in cars save the lives of occupants in cars, but do they lead to lower deaths for all road users?

Reading and contributing to the skeptics debate about the effects of cycle helmets reminded me of the much more significant debate on seat belts in cars. Most countries seem to have accepted that they should be compulsory. The UK government claimed…
matt_black
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Can riding a motorcycle without earplugs cause hearing damage?

I've heard claims before that when riding a motorcycle, wind noise (especially on the highway) is loud enough that it will cause eventual hearing loss. Personally, I ride a motorcycle, and I usually wear earplugs on longer rides, but I have no…
Zack Elan
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Can diabetics with pumps be killed from a half mile away?

Black Hat: Lethal Hack and wireless attack on insulin pumps to kill people Like something straight out of science fiction, an attacker with a powerful antenna could be up to a half mile away from a victim yet launch a wireless hack to…
user179700
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Do fire drills make building occupants safer?

Fire drills are widely practised in schools and other buildings. Wikipedia explains: The purpose of fire drills in buildings is to ensure that everyone knows how to get out safely as quickly as possible if a fire, smoke, carbon monoxide or other…
Chaim
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Is it dangerous to run with scissors?

It was common when I was growing up to be told not to run with scissors. It seems the adults were particularly concerned about the risk of severe injury should I fall. Is there evidence that running with scissors is dangerous? Is walking with…
Logic Knight
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Does "reverse sound technology" make headphones safer?

Purebuds Earphones claims that their use of "Reverse Sound Technology" makes their earbuds safer, preventing hearing damage. I searched for a scientific study of this technology, or at least a good explanation of it, but couldn't find much. From…
Jeff Caros
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Is there credible evidence that a child using an iPad will have their eyesight affected?

I have been told by several people that allowing my young children (aged 2 and 5 at the time of writing) to use an iPad, or similar device, would affect their eyesight. I have found the following articles that appear to support this…
Gary
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Is lean finely textured beef (LFTB) or "pink slime" safe to eat?

Currently in the United States ground beef can be sold under the label "100% ground beef" as per the the USDA Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book (August 2005); however, there have been a number of recent claims that lean finely textured beef…
rjzii
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Are dioxins the most toxic chemicals known to science?

Dioxins are implicated in The Seveso disaster in Italy and the lingering disputes about deformities and birth defects caused by the use of the Agent Orange defoliant in the Vietnam war (Wikipedia summary). They are often described as the most toxic…
matt_black
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Are there better or worse days for ordering sushi as far as safety/fish quality?

I have seen and heard assorted conflicting advice as far as "don't order sushi on Monday"/"Best sushi is on Tuesday" etc... None of the multiple opinions matched in the details but all of them seemed to agree that there's a non-uniform quality of…
user5341
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Is Radio Frequency Radiation carcinogenic at the FCC's 1996 exposure limits?

A 2019 Scientific American blog article, We Have No Reason to Believe 5G Is Safe, by Joel M. Moskowitz, warns about the safety of 5G wireless technology. Yet, since [the 1980s], the preponderance of peer-reviewed research, more than 500 studies,…
jl6
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Is filling multiple vehicles in one transaction at a gas station a safety hazard?

According to this gas station, pumping gasoline into more than one vehicle is a serious safety hazard: The gas station making this claim charges different customers different prices per gallon depending on their level of activity as reflected in…
WBT
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Is there a potential hazard daisy chaining extension leads

In the UK, electricians tell me that 'it is against regulations' to plug a 4 way extension lead into an existing 4 way extension lead. Is this a safety issue? Surely, if the first extension lead in the chain is correctly fused, there is no real…
Matt Wilko
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Is food handled in China but available in Australia less safe than food handled in Australia?

Recently, there's been an incident involving frozen berries handled in China spreading Hepatitis A in Australia. People are responding to this by arguing for better labeling of where food products are from, so that people can choose not to buy food…
Andrew Grimm
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How effective are reflectors at preventing pedestrian deaths?

http://www.safetyreflectors.com/education.html has some claims about reflectors: Studies have proven that the risk of being hit by a motorist in the dark is eight times lower when wearing a safety reflector. The use of reflectors has been shown to…
ike
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