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Posted by Jason Taylor on June 26th, 2024

The risk assessment tends to become more important for numerous positions in various organizations due to the continuously changing structure of threats faced by employees, managers, and executives. Oatman (2006) offers the consistent framework of risk assessment that may be applied to a number of challenges and can reduce the overall level of threats to the acceptable degree. Working as a correctional officer in the jail, I recognize the need for taking relevant and responsible measures for identifying risks at earlier stages and addressing them consistently. Overall, Oatman’s (2006) model is comparatively effective although the required adjustments to my professional sphere should be made.
Oatman (2006) stresses that all organization’s members who face the risks above the average level should obtain additional safety protection that should include a number of measures relevant to every specific situation. Although Oatman (2006) mostly focuses on executives’ needs, his framework may also be applied to other organizational networks. Examining the process described by Oatman (2006) from the perspective of the correctional officer, it is possible to describe both some similarities and differences in relation to the actual professional experience. On the one hand, the jail also implements the consistent and systematic approach to assessing and classifying various risks. There are also adjustments to the degree of protection enjoyed by people occupying different positions in the organization. All security- and safety- related cases are systematically evaluated with the application of urgent response measures that involve various professionals. Also as I studied in quality custom essay there is the sophisticated system of reporting on risks, and it allows making the appropriate regulatory adjustments.
On the other hand, there are specific sources of threats typical exclusively for correctional facilities. Thus, mental-health screenings and suicide risks assessments are often provided in the jail to determine corresponding threats (Swank & Gagnon, 2017). If some problems are identified, the adequate measures are taken according to the industry’s and internal regulations. Similar procedures are also used in relation to other medical challenges such as hepatitis C virus (HCV) (Morris, Brown, & Allen, 2017). The results of assessments affect the intensity and form of interactions with other people involved. However, the jail is not as effective as it is suggested by Oatman (2006) in predicting new challenges unmet by the previous experience. The modeling of new risks is still underdeveloped, and the actual measures taken mostly respond to the already existing threats. In addition, the jail is not as flexible in its operations as it is recommended by Oatman (2006). The jail does not outsource the majority of its activities although some potentially beneficial options exist (Ostermann & Hyatt, 2018). In fact, the recognition of a higher number of potential alternatives may be highly relevant for increasing the effectiveness of its operations and ensuring the maximum safety standards for all staff members. In any case, the framework outlined by Oatman (2006) contributes to the further analysis of the existing problems with the closer evaluation of potential solutions.
In conclusion, risk assessment is central for allocating the available resources and organizing activities in the most rational manner. Oatman (2006) offers the comprehensive framework that may able applied to various organizational contexts. It mostly focuses on executives although many recommendations are relevant to other members. The application of the main author’s ideas to the professional environment of the jail has revealed both some similarities and differences. Although the existing system allows making effective decisions and achieving the gradual progress in safety standards, there are also some problems associated with the system’s flexibility and prediction of new types of risks. The outsourcing alternative also remains to be unaddressed. Thus, Oatman’s (2006) can be successfully applied to the jail professional environment, especially regarding future improvements to be made.