Airmen may reduce risks at home by applying ORM

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Brandy Dupper-Macy
  • 355th Wing Public Affairs
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, ARIZ. (AFPN) --  In most Air Force jobs, training is given to Airmen to teach them how to accomplish the mission, recognize a threat and, in the event a threat does arise, how to execute and prevent a greater threat from happening.

In everyday lives, it is important to take the knowledge gained from work and share it with family members so they know how to prevent incidents and how to react when a threat arises, said Michael Barnes, 355th Wing ground safety monitor.

“Setting the example goes a long way in developing good habits -- buckling seatbelts, using helmets, using gloves, using eye protection, using life vests and so on, are some examples,” he said. “Never take shortcuts, which all involve some form of risk.”

Before doing day-to-day jobs, Airmen find out what the task is. This can be translated to families deciding a vacation destination.

After finding out what the task is at work, a plan of action is established to accomplish the mission at hand. In everyday lives, the plan of action can be deciding what to bring and how to get to the specific location of choice. If driving, the person behind the wheel needs to plan accordingly and ensure they get at least eight hours of rest before leaving. If flying, ensuring proper documentation, such as passports, is on-hand can greatly reduce complications later, safety officials said.

“Make a risk-free plan, which involves everything from how you travel to and from your vacation to what you plan to do while on vacation,” Mr. Barnes said. “Get the family’s inputs and plan accordingly.”

After the plan of action is established, it is time to put those actions to play by ensuring the checklists are done accordingly. In everyday life, this can also be accomplished. Making a list of items needed and mapping out where the location is would be similar to what would happen at a workplace.

Once the action begins, some unexpected things can happen. Predicting what these things may be will greatly reduce risk at work. When taking a vacation, it could be ensuring the spare tire is properly inflated or having a backup plan if the flight is canceled.

If the unexpected happens, Airmen are trained to recover and reduce further risks at work. Knowing how to change a flat tire would be an example of how to recover from day-to-day events.

“We may look at a flat tire as loss of time because we have to change it at the very least, or at the very worst, our flat causes us to lose control of our vehicle, resulting in damage, injury or even death,” Mr. Barnes said. “Work or vacation planning involves choosing what you need to get the job done. Using personal protective equipment at work helps to eliminate hazards. Using personal protective equipment on vacation like life vests, seatbelts, helmets and so forth also help provide for your safety when things go wrong.”

These steps, among many others, help to ensure that workplaces, as well as loved ones, are taken care of.

“Ensuring that operational risk management is considered greatly reduces the chance of risk,” said Col. Michael Spencer, 355th Wing commander. “Our Air Force family cannot afford to lose an Airmen or family member; you are all irreplaceable assets and we need you to return home safely.”