Ain't ORM great, ORM for 101 critical days

Mobility Forum, May/Jun 2000 by Poage, Dave

So the other day, the boss comes down and says, "O.K. Safety Boy, I want a five minute spiel at the next safety meeting on how this Operational Risk Management works."

Great! I can barely spell ORM, so how do I explain it to the rest of these clowns?

I can hear the peanut gallery now, Sounds a lot like TQM to me.

Duh...and I was hoping no one would notice. Actually, on the surface, ORM does have a lot in common with TQM. They both rely on a systematic approach to problem solving. They share some common terms like tools, culture change, and continuous process. You can also apply either one to lots of different situations from the finance office to the flightline. But, there are also some important differences. TQM was originally developed to be a management tool and unless you've got an MBA from Harvard, it can be intimidating with all its high speed, low drag quality-- speak. ORM, on the other hand, is easier for us to swallow because it mostly uses small words that we can all understand. After all, it was started for aircrew.

ORM ain't nuthin' but common sense.

Actually it's even more, and that's the beauty of ORM. It even works for those of you who already have plenty of good common sense. Many people practice ORM informally (even though they don't know it) and you hear people say, That boy's just got good old fashioned horse sense. Likewise, we all know people who don't have a clue about ORM or common sense. He couldn't find his rear end in a closet with both hands and a flashlight. The difference between the two is that the one with horse sense puts his brain in gear before he starts into something. ORM just takes it a step further by using a systematic approach to problem solving to make sure you've got all your bases covered.

Sounds like more paperwork to me.

Yes, and no. HQ USAF has mandated that all units will have an ORM program in place. However, unlike some programs, the number of metrics you can put in a PowerPoint presentation does not measure the quality of an ORM program. Instead its about how well the unit manages the risks associated with accomplishing their mission.

Maybe the best thing to do is show how people who use common sense are really also using ORM. Here's how it usually works.

TASKING

As a well-trained warrior you get a critical mission from the Commander (or spouse...same thing).

Your mission - Get out there and mow the back forty, it's getting overgrown.

Step 1 - Identify the Hazards.

You unconsciously break the mission down into its component parts. (Operations Analysis). Then consider what could go wrong. (Preliminary Hazards Analysis (PHA), Scenario, What-If)

1. Recon the yard. You find all the nails you lost when you built that kiddie playground. There's a huge fire ant hill next to the fence.

2. Preflight old Betsy. The front wheels are a little wobbly. Betsy's low on gas.

3. Commence to mowin'. What if I run over something and Betsy spits it out at the speed of heat? It's the standard Florida summer day, 95 degrees - 110 percent humidity. That ditch has a really steep down slope, I could slip and fall under the mower.

4. Conduct post mission maintenance. Betsy's still leaking oil.

Step 2 - Assess the Risks.

Now ask yourself "If things do go wrong how bad can it be?" (Severity, Probability).

1. If I don't fix her oil leak, Betsy's going to make a mess in the shed.

2. If I challenge the fire ants with this big fan on wheels, they're sure to eat me alive.

3. The wheels could fall off, but they've been wobbly like that for years.

4. If I run over any debris (nails) while I'm mowing, it could nick the blades or shoot out at me.

5. If Betsy runs out of gas I'm going to end up with a half mowed lawn.

6. If I stay out in the heat for two straight hours I'll get sunburned, maybe even heatstroke.

7. The ditch is too steep to mow. Then rack and stack the hazards and figure Oout the things you really need to worry about.

Step 3 - Analyze Risks Control Measures.

What can I do to keep bad things from happening? (Macro Options, Risk Control Matrix). Lots of ways to skin the cat.

Reject the risk of mowing the ditch by just letting it go wild.

Avoid the risk of the fire ants by mowing around them instead of over them.

Reduce the risk of injury from flying debris by picking up the nails and wearing shoes, pants and eye protection. (Ear protection never hurts either!)

Compensate for the risk of running out of gas by keeping a spare gas can on hand. Avoid/reduce the risk of heat injury by taking breaks, or mowing in the morning and applying sunscreen.

Accept the risk of the wobbly wheels. (Hey, it is old Betsy)

Transfer the risk by paying the neighbor's kid to mow while I watch the ball game.

Step 4 - Make Control Decisions.

Decide what you're going to do to prevent things from getting screwed up. (Select Risk Controls). Alrighty then...here's my plan.

I'll put on my old sneakers, Braves hat, sunglasses and work pants. Then I'll try one more time to tighten Betsy's wheels, and gas her up. After that I'll pick up alI the junk in the yard. Then I skip mowing the ditch, mow around the fire ants and take the rest of the day off to reward myself for all the hard work.