Which of the following depicts the 5-step Risk Management Process in the correct order?

• A. Identify hazards, assess hazards, make decisions, implement controls, and supervise.
• B. Identify hazards, implement controls, assess hazards, make decisions, and supervise.
• C. Assess hazards, identify hazards, make decisions, implement controls, and supervise.
• D. Make decisions, identify hazards, assess hazards, implement controls, and supervise.

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is the proper sequence for handling risk: start by identifying hazards, then assess them, decide on controls, implement those controls, and finally supervise to ensure they work. Identifying hazards first is essential because you can’t assess or control what you haven’t recognized. Once hazards are identified, you assess them to understand the level of risk—how likely the hazard is and how severe the potential harm could be. With that understanding, you make a risk decision by developing and selecting appropriate controls to reduce the risk to an acceptable level. After choosing the controls, you implement them in the field or in the plan. Finally, you supervise to verify the controls are effective, catch any new hazards, and adjust as the mission or environment changes. This order prevents jumping into fixes without understanding the problem and keeps risk management a continuous, dynamic process.

Other sequences break this flow by trying to implement controls before assessing risk, or by assessing or deciding without first identifying the hazards, which makes the entire process unreliable.