Risk Decision-making for Chemical Process Security

INTRODUCTION In the preceding years to the terrorist attacks in the United States of September 11th, 2001, the chemical industry focused its process safety activities on accidental release risks. Rarely, if ever, was consideration given to the risk of intentional release, or beyond that, the differences in the nature of such a release. This was most likely due to a perception that these risks were managed adequately, and that the threat of a terrorist attack, particularly on U.S. chemical manufacturing facilities or the supporting transportation system, was remote. Even within government law enforcement and intelligence circles, there was apparently a widely held assumption that terrorist objectives did not involve mass destruction attacks. Today, however, both the government and we in industry know better. The pendulum has swung, and with this new terrorism paradigm comes the knowledge that there is now real cause for concern regarding such a threat. The new terrorism paradigm — that mass-destruction attacks are possible, obviously creates a new risk paradigm for the chemical sector. That is our assets can be targeted, both as a venue for a mass destruction attack, and as a vector for a mass destruction attack. This possibility must therefore inform our security planning and decisionmaking. Reasoned and informed security decision-making where chemicals and chemical facilities are concerned requires a new kind of risk judgment made against a fuzzy set of threats; all with a sense of urgency not previously experienced in accidental risk management. Security Vulnerability Assessment methods such as the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ “Guidelines for Managing and Analyzing the Security Vulnerabilities of Fixed Chemical Sites”, have been published to help structure the analysis process. These “SVA” processes are designed and employed to identify potential point targets of terrorism, and to classify these potential targets in broad terms. By doing so, we can begin the process of deciding how best to address vulnerability, when and where it is found.