Three-step process can help prevent many accidents

Published Nov. 11, 2010
By Maj. Dale Greer
386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- "Accidents happen."

It's a common expression, often used to imply that safety mishaps can't be prevented.

But many accidents are preventable - if people would only apply the right frame of mind in their daily routines, according to Lt. Col. Kevin Eastland, chief of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Safety Office here.

"People do make mistakes and equipment will malfunction, but that doesn't mean most accidents are a foregone conclusion," Colonel Eastland said. "If everyone would incorporate a few simple safety principles into their daily lives, many dangerous situations could be eliminated. And when you eliminate the potential for accidents, you eliminate many of the accidents, too."

The Air Force recorded 8,491 ground safety incidents that claimed 59 lives and cost more than $7 million in medical expenses and lost productivity in fiscal 2009, according to data from the Air Force Safety Center. These incidents run the gamut from relatively minor workplace injuries to off-duty automobile fatalities, but one all-too-common common thread is complacency.

"The truth of the matter is that a great percentage of accidents occur because someone became complacent," Colonel Eastland said. "They took a shortcut, failed to pay adequate attention to their environment or did something they shouldn't have been doing. If we would simply slow down, back each other up and exercise a little more mental discipline, I think the Air Force would see the number of safety incidents drop substantially."

The recommended dose of mental discipline comes in the form three letters: ORM.

Short for Operational Risk Management, ORM is a set of simple principles that can make a big difference in the daily lives of Air Force personnel, Colonel Eastland said. It was developed to provide a continual, cyclic process for managing and reducing complex risk, but its application can be reduced to a three-step process known as ACT.

ACT allows Airmen to assess potential dangers, consider the possibilities of what could go wrong and take action to avoid unsafe practices.

1. ASSESS the environment for risk. Be aware of your surroundings and duties, and analyze what could go wrong.

2. CONSIDER options to limit risk. What can you do about it? Is it worth the risk to proceed? Does the risk require you to elevate the decision-making process?

3. TAKE appropriate action. Implement risk controls by taking preventative action. Does your action control the risk? If not, start the process again. Finally, spread the word! Let others learn from your experience.

"ACT is easy to remember, easy to implement and can be applied to any situation," said Master Sgt. Heath Benton, ground safety manager for the 386th AEW and the U.S. Air Forces Central ground safety manager of the quarter. "I encourage every Airman to use it on a regular basis as a part of their daily routines, both on and off duty. If they do, they will reduce the likelihood that they'll be involved in a safety mishap, and they may even save a life."