Which ORM step involves identifying options?

• A. Identify hazards
• B. Identify mission tasks
• C. Identify options
• D. Monitor situation

Answer: (C)

In ORM, the task of identifying options comes as you move into developing controls and making decisions. After you’ve identified hazards and assessed their risk, you need to generate a range of potential risk-control measures. This involves brainstorming different ways to reduce or eliminate the hazard—engineering changes, administrative procedures, training, personal protective equipment, or a combination of these. The goal is to lay out multiple viable options so you can compare their effectiveness, feasibility, cost, and impact on mission success, then select the best course of action and implement it. The other activities—identifying hazards and monitoring the situation—occur earlier and later in the process, respectively, while identifying options specifically focuses on listing and weighing possible controls to mitigate risk.