Which is the correct sequence of the five Air Force ORM steps?

Which is the correct sequence of the five Air Force ORM steps?

• A. Identify hazards, assess risks, develop controls and make risk decisions, implement controls, supervise and monitor
• B. Identify hazards; implement controls; assess risks; develop controls and make risk decisions; supervise and monitor
• C. Identify hazards, assess risks, implement controls, develop controls and make risk decisions, supervise and monitor
• D. Identify hazards, assess risks, develop controls and make risk decisions, supervise and monitor, implement controls

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is the proper order of the five Air Force ORM steps, which builds risk management from understanding to action to verification. Start by identifying hazards so you know what could cause harm. Only after hazards are identified can you assess the risk they pose, considering both probability and severity. With hazards and risk understood, you develop controls and make risk decisions to decide which mitigations are appropriate and how much risk you’re willing to accept. Then you implement those controls to put the plan into action. Finally, you supervise and monitor to ensure the controls work in practice, catch any drift, and adjust as needed. This sequence is logical because each step relies on the previous one: you can’t assess risk without recognizing hazards, you can’t select and decide on controls without understanding the risk, you can’t implement controls effectively without decisions, and you can’t verify success without supervision. Other sequences jump ahead or skip crucial analysis—for example, implementing controls before assessing risk, or monitoring before there are controls to monitor—leading to ineffective risk management.

The main idea being tested is the proper order of the five Air Force ORM steps, which builds risk management from understanding to action to verification. Start by identifying hazards so you know what could cause harm. Only after hazards are identified can you assess the risk they pose, considering both probability and severity. With hazards and risk understood, you develop controls and make risk decisions to decide which mitigations are appropriate and how much risk you’re willing to accept. Then you implement those controls to put the plan into action. Finally, you supervise and monitor to ensure the controls work in practice, catch any drift, and adjust as needed.

This sequence is logical because each step relies on the previous one: you can’t assess risk without recognizing hazards, you can’t select and decide on controls without understanding the risk, you can’t implement controls effectively without decisions, and you can’t verify success without supervision. Other sequences jump ahead or skip crucial analysis—for example, implementing controls before assessing risk, or monitoring before there are controls to monitor—leading to ineffective risk management.