PRM: Your Ticket to Safety - personal risk management

Combat Edge, Sept, 2001 by Patrick J. Spoor

Personal Risk Management (PRM) is a common sense way of accomplishing a task with reduced risk.

It is a systematic process to help all individuals make sound decisions in a logical manner. It is a method of getting the task done by identifying areas that present the highest risk and taking action to eliminate, reduce or control the risk.

The principles of PRM are based on the Operational Risk Management concept, but it focuses more on human factors. PRM can be used to plan a long distance trip or something as simple as a bicycle ride from the base to town.

Like ORM, the first thing is to identify the risk. Visualize the expected flow of events and identify any conditions, which might result in injury, death or property damage. Then assess the risk, determine which of the identified hazards present the greatest risk, considering the potential outcomes and their probability and severity.

Next analyze control measures, determine what controls can be implemented to counter the assessed risks.

The last step is to make control decisions. Determine which courses of action will best accomplish the task with an acceptable level of risk.

Remember, PRM is a process of thinking through a task before you act. Ask yourself, do the benefits outweigh the risk. If you need more information, call your wing safety office.