Concept of Safety

  • Published
  • By Will Harding
  • 17th Training Wing/ Safety
Safety is a concept we need to apply at work, home and play. It must be proactive, as opposed to reactive. When properly applied, mishaps can be greatly reduced and in some cases prevented all together. To think we can prevent all accidents at all times is not realistic. However, that doesn't mean it's something we shouldn't strive for. Where safety is concerned, we must endeavor to persevere.

Safety should always be in the forefront of everything we do. It is an integral part of the planning process. It should never become an afterthought. This is where Operational Risk Management comes into play (you knew I'd get around to it sooner or later). For those of you who are new and for those who just need a little reminder, ORM is a six-step, logic-based, common- sense approach to making calculated decisions on human, material and environmental factors before, during and after an operation or task.

There are four principles of risk management:
1) Know the risks.
2) Accept no unnecessary risks.
3) Make risk decisions at the proper level.
4) Accept risks if benefits outweigh the cost.

The six steps of the ORM process are:
1) Identify the hazards.
2) Access the risks.
3) Analyze control measures.
4) Make control decisions.
5) Implement control measures.
6) Supervise the process.

There are many sources from which hazards can be identified. One of the best is through a group process involving empowered experts directly from the workplace. Most people want to talk about their jobs. A simple brainstorming process with subject matter experts can yield effective results.

The objective of risk assessment is to determine root causes and impact of risks, prioritize it, explore and identify origins of risk. The key elements of assessment are severity (the influence on performance of a given task), probability (how it impacts the schedule within the system) and control resources (costs).

Before a risk can be controlled, alternatives to risk must be understood: It can be accepted, reduced, avoided, spread or transferred. The control decision step is done after the decision maker is briefed on the options. Decisions are made with full awareness of the identity of the hazard and the risk involved. The decision maker knows that he/she must allocate resources to control the risk. The controls are then implemented that will eliminate hazards or at least reduce the risk. The final step of the process involves enforcing standards and control on an on-going basis.