Risk Management 7 CHAPTER Karen Pickard

In order to adequately understand the process of risk management, the best approach would be to start with a defi nition of risk. Although there are varied defi nitions, there are some common threads; uncertainty, potential for harm, and potential for loss are a few examples. The U.S. Fire Administration1 defi nes risk as the objective or subjective probability that something negative will occur. In the prehospital environment, risk management is tightly integrated into all aspects of patient care, training, and supervision. In considering risk management, we have to consider the probability that an event that is undesirable will occur, and that there is potential for harmful consequences. Managing those events before they occur in a proactive sense is the ideal, but the problem that we often have is how to best create that environment. In addition, we need to know how to classify risks in terms of frequency and severity. Two components to be considered are the internal and external aspects of risk management. Internal components are safety, training, health and wellness, personnel management, and equipment readiness. External components are prevention programs, public education programs, and one of the most important, the perception of the public. Risk assessment and root cause analysis are critical factors in risk management. They will be addressed in this chapter, along with training, supervision, and incident investigation. COMPONENTS OF PREHOSPITAL RISK MANAGEMENT