Real-Time RM

Real-Time Risk Management

Foundation

Real-Time RM Definition

Real-Time Risk Management is a less formal risk assessment using basic RM process steps to identify and mitigate hazards in a new or changing situation.

Streamlined Process

Although Real-Time Risk Management is founded on the 5-Step RM Process, streamlining the steps is essential in situations where risk decisions need to be made:

Quickly
In Real-Time

Identifying and Assessing Hazards

Identifying + Assessing in Real-Time

Identifying and assessing hazards in a time-critical environment typically occurs when:

A planned activity is already underway
Or when the complexity or perception of overall risk is low

Effective Assessment Requirements

Effective identification and assessment requires the key elements of:

Hazard and risk identification
Understanding the negative effects associated with those hazards and risks

Three Stages of Situational Awareness

3 Situational Awareness Stages

In Real-Time Risk Management, a complete assessment of the situation requires three stages of situational awareness in a relatively short time:

Perception of what is happening
Integration of information and goals
Projection into the future

Real-Time vs Deliberate

Unlike Deliberate RM, where there is ample time to assess potential situations, it is an individual's ability to discern the situation and apply available resources quickly and effectively that can mean the difference between success or failure.

Developing Controls

After assessing the situation, personnel must consider all available controls (resources) to facilitate mission or activity success and how to manage them effectively.

Control Examples

Examples include:

Having a good understanding of the situation
Being properly trained
Wearing correct personal protective equipment
Knowing personal limitations
Having a "Wingman" to support their effort(s)

Layer of Protection

Each of these controls and resources serves as a layer of protection and enhances a decision maker's ability to effectively balance risk versus reward through proper preparation and understanding of the situation and options.

Communication Imperative

It is also essential that Airmen and Guardians communicate with their team and leadership to ensure all options and resources are effectively utilized in making a sound yet timely risk decision.

Communicating

Communication Forms

Communication can take various forms:

Real-time communication with leadership to discuss problems and intentions
Internal team and crew communication can address real-time hazards and mitigation options
An individual internalizing their current situation and taking time to evaluate if they are heading down the right path

Stress Effects on Communication

Stress Effects

Perception and communication skills are adversely affected as individuals:

Become increasingly stressed
Lose situational awareness

Pressure Effects

Feeling undue pressure to succeed or to continue with a plan when anticipated conditions require "mid-stream" changes can have similar effects on individuals or team members as they try to compensate.

Tunnel Vision

In these high stress situations, communication skills diminish as individuals:

Channelize attention
Lose awareness of the overall situation
Can experience tunnel vision
Be unable to multitask effectively to deal with the changing circumstances

Real-Time Reflective Questions

4 Reflective Questions

Asking questions such as the following are just a few examples of the considerations that must be made prior to implementing a mitigation strategy in Real-Time:

"Who needs to know about the situation?"
"Who can help or assist?"
"Who can provide back-up?"
"Can this be done differently?"