Critical National Infrastructure
Critical National Infrastructure can be defined as a collection of sub-industries including energy, defence, communications and water – facilities and resources networks upon which daily life depends.
Now, more than ever, the eyes of the world are trained on the energy sector and how it can adapt to both an increasingly volatile global market and ever-growing demands for greater sustainability.
customers
Common Risks Within Critical National Infrastructure
High-value equipment
For businesses operating in the energy or defence sectors, the equipment and machinery often kept on-site will be extremely valuable and/or dangerous if accessed illegally – weaponry, vehicles, power generators, etc. These resources are vulnerable to theft, vandalism, and fire damage, all of which will cause significant financial losses to the business, in addition to an inability to trade, which will ultimately deprive citizens of essential services.
High risk of fire
The energy sector – encompassing oil and gas producers, electricity generators and energy distribution networks – is recognised as high risk of fire due to the fact that raw energy components are often highly flammable and highly combustible.
Terrorism
Due to the turbulent socio-political climate we find ourselves in, energy providers and distributors are particularly at risk of becoming victims of environmental terrorism or ‘eco-terrorism’. Although eco-terrorism is not always violent or destructive in nature, it is frequently highly disruptive to business operations by design. Likewise, defence partners are vulnerable to being targeted by violent political activism and/or ideological extremism.
How the KST Group Can Help:
Access Control Systems
Access Control Systems ensure that only competent and thoroughly vetted members of staff can access the machinery on-site.
Fire
Comprehensive, evidence-based fire risk assessments are essential in proactively managing the risks inherent to operation in certain sectors, particularly in the energy sector. Effectively managing fire risk is about both protecting your staff from harm whilst at work, and protecting your equipment and the raw energy components they process from damage and/or destruction in a fire.
CCTV & Monitoring
Businesses operating in the energy or defence sectors frequently have very large estates that are predominantly green space; this makes them unsuitable for manned guarding security solutions, as they would necessitate overly complex patrol schedules. However, a comprehensive and properly positioned CCTV camera system would allow the site manager complete visibility over even a large expansive site whilst minimising blind spots/areas of low visibility.