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| News > Commentary - It’s your night out |
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It’s your night out
Posted 9/7/2012 Updated 9/7/2012
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Commentary by Rod Krause
5th Bomb Wing Ground Safety
9/7/2012 - MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- It's 1:00 a.m. and you've got to be at work by 7:00 a.m. The problem is you feel hung over.
Seems you've had the time of your life and enough alcohol in your system to keep you happy until 10:00 a.m. the next day!
Sometime during the evening, reality strikes. You've got to get home, you look around and your friends are toasted too. You may be thinking that it's only a couple of clicks to the front gate and you don't feel too drunk. You toss a stick of chewing gum in your mouth and off you go.
As you approach the gate, you fumble for your ID. You're thinking if you could just get through the gate you'd be home free. You're hoping for that quick ID check and a friendly wave to proceed.
As you hand the guard your ID card he's observing your every move. He noticed the way you approached the gate, weaving (because you were fumbling for your ID card, of course). He notices your glossy pupils and the way your eyes fail to focus.
He notices the slur of your speech when he asks you how you're doing this nice evening. All of your actions tell him to check you out a little closer. He can smell the alcohol emanating from your breath. He knows there's no such thing as Juicy Fruit alcohol-flavored gum. You're busted!
This is the scene over and over again. Night after night, people are caught drinking and driving. But why? Well, it is because they fail to plan. They fail to assess the risks associated with drinking and driving.
If you take a minute or two to plan the evening, you can save yourself great embarrassmen,t maybe even your career, and most importantly, you can live to enjoy another of those great nights out.
While many of us have heard of Operational Risk Management, or ORM, many of us don't use it when we're off-duty. This common misconception is worth exploring. Let's see how we can apply ORM to the scenario above. The Air Force has a six-step process:
1. Identify the Hazard Drinking alcohol and operating a motor vehicle is a hazard!
2. Assess the Risk - I could get caught, end up in jail, and destroy my career
- I could get into an accident and kill myself or someone else
3. Analyze the Control Measures - I could walk
- I could take a taxi
- I could find a designated driver (hint: one who won't drink alcohol)
4. Make Control Decisions - Walk is too far.
- Taxi costs money, but we could all pitch in and lower the cost.
- Hey, Ken's not a party guy, but he's reliable. Let's see if he'll be our designated driver
5. Risk Control Implementation Ken's the choice! He's free and reliable.
6. Supervise and Review Once you're sober. Evaluate how well your activity went. Adjust as needed and start the process again!
There are alternatives to drinking and driving. Just take a moment to think and apply the ORM process. Drinking and driving is a choice. Don't you make the wrong one!
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