Security Prioritization Process

Specifically for security, the following factors may be helpful in developing a company-specific security prioritization process ... 

As discnssed in Chapter 3, the results of the initial company-level prioritization were based solely on the chemical hazards and identified facihties whose transportation operations would require a facihty/operational level review. The focus of this example is on the security of the hazardous materials in and out of a single XYZ Chemical facihty, and is the same Asian plant that was evaluated for safety issues in Chapters 4 and 5. In addition to the corporate directive to evaluate transportation safety risk at this facihty, the site security manager was informed of the need to complete a security risk analysis of the hazardous materials in transit. To inihate the security review, the security manager and health and safety manager met to review the findings of the safety analysis. In addition to focusing on chemicals and hazards from the initial safety prioritizahon, the security prioritization process also considers ... 

Table 6.7 compares the issues that were screened out through the prioritization process, evaluated through benchmarking, and escalated for a more detailed risk analysis in both the safety and security prioritization processes. 

Figure 6.3 Operations Escalated from Security Prioritization Process...

This chapter presents the basic concepts and definition of risk (Section 3.1), a protocol for conducting transportation risk assessments (Section 3.2), and a prioritization process for identifying important issues and transportation scenarios requiring a more detailed risk analysis (Section 3.3). Due to the differences in safety and security definitions and risk assessment methodologies, the focus of Chapters 3, 4, and 5 is limited to transportation safety. Security concepts, definition, and assessment methods are presented separately in Chapter 6, with this chapter providing a high-level comparison of safety and security. 

Since this is a high-level corporate review at this point, the prioritization activity is limited to the chemicals, their physical properties, and the potential consequences and impact that could result from an accidental release while in transport to or from an XYZ Chemical plant. During the risk analyses presented in the continuing example in Chapters 4 and 5 (which focus on a specific facility s transportation activities), the other operational factors above are reviewed in greater detail. The prioritization process at this point, therefore, will be hazard- and consequence-based with additional detail on conseqnence, likelihood, and risk addressed for those chemicals and modes of transportation identified for escalation. Additionally, the review is limited to safety, since the focns of Chapter 6 is exclusively on security. In practice, safety and secnrity can be completed together, but have been separated in this book and example for clarity. 

Step 1—List Chemicals and Hazards The inherent physical properties (e.g., toxicity, flarmnabihty, reactivity) of a hazardous material in transit should be used to develop a list of chemicals that will be carried forward in the prioritization process. This list of chemicals may be different than that developed for accidental releases and may need to consider the following security issues ... 

Step 5—Security Evaluation Each of the chemical movements screened out through the prioritization process shotrld be analyzed by a general security review before closing these items. Section 6.5 discusses basehne security elements. All issues that make it through the prioritization process should be reviewed using a TSVA methodology (Section 6.4). 

Following this prioritization process or a similar one, a transportation system can be evaluated to identify those issues that need to be escalated to a more detailed TSVA to better understand the potential consequences, vulnerabilities, and level of risk, or to compare potential security countermeasures. 

A generic radiation safety assessment should cover issues of safety and interactions with security that may arise during each stage of the lifetime of the source, including distribution, installation, commissioning, use, maintenance and disposal. The review should identify the potential for accidents to cause serious injury or radioactive contamination, and the probability of such accidents occurring and their consequences. Past performance in compliance and information on any past accidents should be reviewed as part of the prioritization process. 

For some companies, the problem may not be assessment, but the next, and most difficult step implementation. Some plants are dragging their feet, due to budgetary and political issues, Sem says. An average sized chemical plant can easily spend from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars for site security - then, some plants have fence lines over a mile long, he adds. Right now, many companies know they should do more but can t see the forest for the trees. Generally, the most critical business processes should determine how to prioritize the intensity and focus of security efforts, says Troy Smith, senior vice president and practice leader for IT Security with the risk-assessment specialists, Marsh Inc. (New York City). 

As noted in the chapter, the vulnerability-assessment process will assist in identifying vulnerabilities and risks that are apparent within individual schools or school districts. After identification, stakeholders can develop plans to address and help remedy those problematic areas. In addition to describing the assessment, the chapter will also provide information on reporting and the prioritization of findings. It is important to understand that even if the completion of the assessment is successful, the report and associated findings must be developed into a usable format that will give stakeholders information on how to improve the safety and security of the complex. 

To assist the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in its efforts to secure the Nation s infrastructure and economy against terrorist attack and other catastrophic loss, the NRC wiU ejtamine the public health, economic, and national security importance to the United States of key chemicals and chemical processes. A systems analysis perspective will be utilized to surest a methodology to prioritize risk, identify scenarios of concern, and determine investments intended to enhance the long-term stability of the Nation s chemical infrastructure. Within resources and information available, this review wiU ... 

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