Threat exposure

Allocate a rating that reflects how likely a threat is to be encountered during normal operations.

Not all threats within a bowtie present the same level of exposure. Assessing threat exposure helps identify those threats that are encountered most frequently and may therefore warrant greater attention.

The significance of a threat may also vary between organisations and operational contexts. Some threats may only be encountered occasionally, such as take-off with aircraft surfaces contaminated by ice. Others may be relevant to every flight, such as the risk of operating outside the aircraft's approved loading limits.

Threat exposure should be assessed before considering the effect of any controls. The rating reflects the likelihood of the threat being present, not the effectiveness of the measures used to manage it.