ABSTRACT
According to the dictionary, “mitigate” means to “make milder, less severe, less rigorous, less harmful.” Nowhere does the dictionary suggest that mitigation means “elimination.” Effective risk management, however, can sometimes reduce risk to a level of insignificance. For our purposes then, the process of risk mitigation means lowering risks where possible, providing options that may include acceptance of risks, management of risks or assignment of risks. When it comes to mitigation, people cannot forget that the attitudes of the head of maintenance or the director of operations may present risks far beyond most others. All too often the suggestion that efficiency can be improved is perceived as a criticism of past practices, and often taken quite personally. Mitigating the risk posed by low skill levels in the maintenance department is a different, but clearly related, problem. The solution, of course, is training.
