But first a Risk conversation
The Corona Virus has involved all of us in risk
assessments.
How often should I go to the shops? Weekly shops are more
common than monthly now.
Should I go for a paper every day?
How much distance should I give for runners and cyclist? More
than 2 metres?
I
remember the first time I had the opportunity to stand behind a shop till. It
was a newsagent. I was a paper boy. An emergency took place and the shop
manager said, "you cover the counter while I deal with this
situation." Apart from the buzz for a child to be in control of a shop, I
had never dealt with cash before, I was terrified.
But what of the lasting impression about that situation as I saw the shop from a different viewpoint.
Years of paper rounds delivering in the local village, leaning on the counter, several visits each day I had got used to seeing the shop from one side the customer side.
Now I was seeing the other side. It was strange.
If you have lived in the same house for a long time and you haven't been in the garden of next door then when you do go and visit -Its strange because you are seeing it from a different eye, a different perspective!
Looking at risks is to some extent looking from a different angle.
While you might have an insight the rest of the street or community might not!
To move forward in risk management there is a need to have everyone increase their awareness.
With change, like behaviour, it might take time, but as you carry on others will see this new perspective and what a benefit it could be. A disaster missed, a more efficient home or workplace, no loss or a catastrophe averted. This virus still has the potential to be more than a Catastrophe if we do not act wisely.
But what of the lasting impression about that situation as I saw the shop from a different viewpoint.
Years of paper rounds delivering in the local village, leaning on the counter, several visits each day I had got used to seeing the shop from one side the customer side.
Now I was seeing the other side. It was strange.
If you have lived in the same house for a long time and you haven't been in the garden of next door then when you do go and visit -Its strange because you are seeing it from a different eye, a different perspective!
Looking at risks is to some extent looking from a different angle.
While you might have an insight the rest of the street or community might not!
To move forward in risk management there is a need to have everyone increase their awareness.
With change, like behaviour, it might take time, but as you carry on others will see this new perspective and what a benefit it could be. A disaster missed, a more efficient home or workplace, no loss or a catastrophe averted. This virus still has the potential to be more than a Catastrophe if we do not act wisely.
So,
what are risks?
Risk is
the possibility of something bad happening.
Risk
involves uncertainty about the effects/implications of an activity with respect
to something that humans value (such as health, well-being, wealth, property or
the environment), often focusing on negative, undesirable consequences. Many
different definitions have been proposed. The international standard definition
of risk for common understanding in different applications is “effect of
uncertainty on objectives”.
How
do we deal with risks?
We
can try and reduce the risk, minimise the risk, eliminate the risk, insure
against the risk.
One
way to reduce risk is to put controls in place.
Examples
might be :
Locks on doors!
£45.00 limit on card transactions without a PIN!
Eat your main course before you get sweet.
Wear protective clothing.
Safe distancing, “Social distancing” or as Radio four
tried to adopt the term “Physical distancing”.
Other controls might be documented to help reduce the
risk and formulate thinking and practice. A policy or procedure.
Examples:
Child protection policy
Fire procedures
Tesco
One of the first retail outlets to re shape the shopping
experience was Tesco. They implemented restricted times. Times for care workers
etc , a one-way system 2-metre markers
and the use of a separate exit for customers who had completed their
transactions. There installed splash screen to protect the staff. Trolleys
being wiped down.
All these were controls to reduce the likely hood of
virus spread.
But here is an observation.
The staff making up the customer orders on the face of it
do not act with distancing aspects to themselves or customers.
Is this a weakness?
Then we have the pleasant door person holding the door,
nice touch, to let customers out the
fire exit. No handles to touch. Good control.
But he is less than 2 meters, and he is near every person
leaving the shop!
Is this a weakness?
As we all take stock and consider more so in the subconscious
our responsibility in this period of Corona 19 virus we all need to take
recognition of good controls.
If we feel 2 metres is not enough control we could implement
our own control of 3 metres.
As we have seen in walking the streets as part of
exercise people do change behaviour and are influenced by others’ actions.
Those who are unaware or lack risk awareness or have a larger threshhold for
what is acceptable risk will see hopefully why we act in a particular manner.
With all risks this is not static. Reviews need to be held
regularly and be part of on-going practice.
I think Nicola Sturgeon was right to leave lock down in Scotland
for a further period as the information was showing we had not reached the peak
of the “first wave” of the virus.
I am sure she has had lots of risk conversations over the
last two months.
Please Share from here or from where you game from. Thank you.
