BUSINESS RISK ASSESSMENT

Business Risk Assessment (BRA) plays a fundamental role in the effective management and governance of risks that are inherent to an Aviation Fuel Handling Organisation.

JIG has provided a series of Good Practice tools for members, to give guidance on how to approach the subject and how to use the “BRA Tool” created to manage the process. The active use of a BR has been a requirement for JIG JVs since 2011.

The updated guidance and materials (March 2024) have been expanded with more practical details and hints, as well as a new user-friendly “BRA 2.0” Assessment tool. While still applicable to the operations of Joint Ventures, the update has been designed to make it applicable to all sites tht handle jet-fuel, and a good practice that can be adopted or adjusted to fit any operator.

Some key aspects of BRA

A full understanding of an organisation’s risks help local management to prevent or offset certain risks or hazards by implementing “barriers”. Many barriers can already be found in the JIG Standards  thanks to equipment design and operating procedures designed to minimise the risks inherent to the activity. However, barriers do get weaker with time, and procedural barriers in particllar need to be observed and suervised to ensure they remain effective. The BRA Process encourages organisations ot record all of their potential risks and existing barriers to have a full picture of what their risks are, and which barriers may be getting weaker.

JIG’s Good Practice guidance includes the need to conduct a BRA using a reliable process and involving people who have the knowledge of the Risk or Hazard being identified, and to conduct the assessment before any of the Risks actually occur at the facility. Large or complex organisations may need the help of a Risk Expert, and all organisations may need the assistance of subject matter experts when discussing hazards on which local management is not expert.

Risks/Hazards at a location, together with their possible causes and potential outcomes should be listed and evaluated. The well-known “Bow-tie” risk model is a useful tool for this exercise. Different barriers may then be implemented for each risk. Barriers fall into the category of “Prevent”, “Control” and “Mitigate”

The Risks should then be assessed against a Risk Matrix, so that the organisation can decide if its residual level of risk is acceptable, or more barriers have to be implemented.

A periodic review of risk has to be conducted to ensure that any new risks are included in the risk profile, and to ensure that existing barriers remain effctive. JIG recommends a review of the BRA at least annually, and a full BRA revision to be conducted every three years.

JIG Guidance and Tools

JIG’s guidance is published as document “GP4.01 – Business Risk Assessment and Management for Aviation Operations“. It contains an explanation of industry good pratice for the BRA Process, and includes examples of Causes and Outcomes and the distribution of Barriers for some commonly occuring risks.

The guidance is accompanied by the “BRA 2.0” assessment tool that comes in various sizes according to your organisation size. It has ben upgraded from the earlier version BRA Tool, to be more user-friendly and containing some management tools.

JIG training packs