Operational Risk Management (ORM) & Safety

OPERATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT (ORM)

Operational Risk Management

OPNAVINST 3500.39 (series), Operational Risk Management (ORM) is the guiding Navy instruction for implementing the ORM program. The naval vision is to develop an environment in which every individual (officer, enlisted and civilian) is trained and motivated to personally manage risk in everything they do on and off duty, both in peacetime and during conflict, thus enabling successful completion of all operations or activities with the minimum amount of risk.

Commands have a number of responsibilities relative to ORM, including designating the Executive Officer as the ORM Program Manager to oversee command ORM training and implementation and ensuring that at a minimum one officer and one senior enlisted are qualified as ORM instructors.

The most common idea of what ORM is revolves around a simple five-step process that is most frequently used in planning. These five steps are:

  • Identify hazards

  • Assess the hazards

  • Make risk decisions

  • Implement controls

  • Supervise and watch for change

Another level of ORM is Time Critical Risk Management which involves a quick, committed-to-memory process and a set of skills that allow our people to manage risk when in the execution of a plan or event. The standard for the Navy is being developed, however it might be thought of in simple terms such as:

  • What can go wrong or is changing

  • How can I keep it from effecting the mission without hurting me

  • Act to correct the situation

  • Telling the right people if you are unable to take the right action



TRAINING TIME OUT POLICY

a. In any training situation when a student or instructor

expresses concern for personal safety or a need exists to clarify

procedures or requirements, the student or instructor calls a

"training time out" (TTO). Instructors are responsible for

maintaining situational awareness and shall remain alert to signs

of student panic, fear, extreme exhaustion, or lack of

confidence, that may impair safe completion of the training

evolution, and shall immediately cease training when the

instructor considers this action appropriate.

Information concerning the TTO and action taken by

the instructor shall be provided.

b. If a student asks for a TTO, that does not necessarily mean

the training event must be terminated. Following a TTO, the

training situation shall be examined and additional explanation

and instruction will be provided as necessary to allow safe

resumption of training. The instructor will determine if the

event can be completed after the TTO.

c. When a student refuses to participate in training after

additional instruction is provided, and the safety concern is

resolved, or when excessive use of TTO occurs, he/she is removed

from training (i.e., incomplete the event) for counseling

or administrative processing, including removal from training.

d. Only verbal TTO signals will be used for aircraft flight

events. TTO signals other than verbal shall be appropriate to

the training environment and clearly indicated in the curriculum,

Lesson Topic Guides and Student Guides. Prior to commencing any

"high risk" evolution the instructor will detail the TTO

procedures with emphasis on evolution specific verbal (and

nonverbal signals when appropriate) as part of the safety portion

of the briefing of the training.