Risk
Management
Safety
A key phrase in the Department of the Army’s de?nition of an accident is an ‘unplanned event.’ No one ever plans
to have an accident that day. However, on occasion, accidents do occur. Having investigated quite a few accidents
in the last several years, it’s not always dif?cult to ?gure out the events that led to an accident. There are many
hazards that we face every day. While many exist outside our camps, there are many more that lay right outside
our front door. We live among any number of hazards on a daily basis. So why aren’t more accidents happening?
The answer is because we all exercise risk management.
The Army developed an entire manual on risk management. They de?ne it as a decision making process used to
mitigate risks associated with all hazards that have the potential to injure or kill personnel, damage or destroy
equipment or otherwise impact mission effectiveness. The concept of risk management applies a systematic
method of thinking to problems associated with military operations in order to make them safer and more effective.
Military operations inherently take on a certain level of risk. Units will train using a series of battle drills, rehearsals
and instruction to increase both the pro?ciency and the con?dence level of the soldier. Through the practice of
risk management, the level of risk commanders and leaders accept are mitigated and reduced to the lowest level
possible. This often results in a culture of safety that is visible through every level of leadership within a unit.
It’s to be expected that accidents will happen. When units conduct tough, realistic training, soldiers will often push
themselves to the brink of their expertise level. When a commander factors in the risks involved with training,
it’s understood that soldiers may get injured. The key to risk management, however, are the measures that are put
in place that lessen the severity of the hazards. Identifying the hazards is imperative during the risk management
process. Relying on the experience of your NCOs and senior leaders will often help identify anything that can go
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