The Precautionary Principle, in the context of public health, is simply:
“Err on the side of caution.”
The basic tenet is to always take the safest approach in an epidemic, and not to wait for all of the scientific evidence before acting. In the context of scientific uncertainty and an impending threat to public health, it is unreasonable to wait for the answers before you take action to avert the threat.
Examples of public policy NOT applying the Precautionary Principle:
- hesitation on closing borders to international travellers
- resistance to recommending the use of masks
- reluctance to acknowledge asymptomatic transmission
- reluctance to acknowledge airborne spread of the virus
Miller, Adam, 2020. “The key lesson from SARS that Canada failed to heed when COVID-19 hit.” CBC News, Oct 17, 2020.
Experts say Canada could have fared better if it followed ‘precautionary principle’ early in the pandemic https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/coronavirus-canada-sars-1.5766021
Zafar, Amina. 2020. “Why err on the side of caution as COVID-19 looms in health-care workplaces.” CBC News, July 24, 2020.
‘If we can’t be certain then we should be safe:’ Concerns of workers and residents need to be prioritized https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/precautionary-principle-covid-work-1.5660804
Workers Health & Safety Centre, 2020. “Confronting COVID-19: Implementing the Precautionary Principle and Hierarchy of Hazard Controls.” Webinar. April 22, 2020.
https://www.whsc.on.ca/Files/Resources/COVID-19-Resources/WHSC-WebinarPP_Precautionary-Principle-Hierarchy-of-Controls-b_Apr22-20_COVID-19-Resources.aspx