The security of production facilities

The security of production facilities. The security situation of a manufacturing company can change overnight. There is danger from increased risk of fire, theft and sabotage but also from sudden changes in the economic market situation or damage to a company‘s image. Apart from general systemrelated operational dangers, other sources of danger are fires and natural catastrophes, energy and IT failure, breakdowns and serious industrial accidents. But also industrial espionage, competitive actions, product piracy, the embezzlement of company funds and corruption present a significant risk. GIT Security + Management looks at the most important prevention measures to secure modern production facilities.

A security analysis begins with a thorough look at the security inventory. This must include all production facilities, their functions, regulatory obligations, existing security technology and concepts, IT levels and infrastructure, organisation plans, insurance obligations, in-house security staff and contracts running with service providers. The object-related peculiarities, the individual threat or risk of danger should be identified in this analysis, with a weighting of the relevant dangers. Damage reports from the last 10 years can help to support the results.

An organisation‘s structures, the staff resources and their level of training and technical equipment also belong in this security ‚stock-take‘. This relates not only to a company‘s own security personnel and security providers but maybe also to its own internal fire brigade and all the various fire prevention measures.

Insure and Secure

Apart from sufficient insurance cover for all conceivable risks, it is essential to incorporate organisation, security technology and staff into a coordinated security concept. This includes analyses of existing fire protection concepts and a review of current alarm and deployment plans.

The security of IT with its equipment and organisation has equally high priority. The direct and indirect information routes, the methods of access, data protection and the security standard must also be defined.

Most important in all these security considerations are however the employees. The overall qualifications and the roles of staff should be looked at closely to ensure that the safety and security plans of the company can be fully met. Well-trained Fire Prevention and Security Officers or Security Managers are an integral part of the security concept.

Top Priority: Fire Prevention

Fires are the worst possible catastrophe for companies. They represent a danger to health and life, and are also often the cause of extensive material damage and expensive loss of production. It is therefore essential not only to comply with compulsory fire protection regulations in new buildings, but also to be aware every day of potential sources of fire.

Timely application of technology, organisation and general alertness can all help to minimise the danger of fire. Insurers pay out for fire damage to the tune of 3 billion in Germany alone. Every year, around 12,500 arson attacks are registered and thousands of lives are ruined by fires caused by technical faults or human error.

Apart from carrying out the necessary building works, effective fire prevention also includes organisational measures and checks such as:

• posting the fire regulations, alarm, action and evacuation plans, 
• organising and monitoring fire protection checks, 
• monitoring and removal of fire protection-related dangers, 
• checking stairways, escape routes and firefighting equipment, 
• checking fixed fire extinguishing equipment, 
• consultation on fire protection, 
• exercises as well as training and instruction of employees. 

All these measures have the aim of recognising existing fire risks, avoiding dangerous working processes, not storing inflammable goods together with potential ignition sources, not accumulating inflammable goods in production areas and ensuring that quick and effective fire-fighting measures and clear escape routes are readily available.

Safety of Machines and Systems

Machines and systems with high availability are demanded by today‘s automated production industries where reliability, productivity and flexibility are essential. They must constantly meet all functional and safety requirements through ‚safety technology‘. Whether through safety control relays, stall monitors, frequency convertors, safety sensors, over-voltage protection, camera surveillance, light curtains, safety bolts or gas warning systems, they all serve both to protect people and ensure uninterrupted production, thereby providing the necessary safety management of machines, systems and other operational devices.

It‘s also about reducing noise, meeting hygiene and ergonomic requirements as well as the safety-related maintenance strategies for machines and systems. This makes ‚safety technology‘ one of the most important components in the overall safety and economics of the production industry.

Crime Prevention and Crisis Management

Various strategies are employed to prevent crime (primary, secondary and tertiary prevention). In an everyday sense, such security measures mainly have the aim of discouraging potential criminals (secondary prevention). This is achieved by reducing the opportunities for crime as well as by constant checks and consistent prosecution. Every production location should apply the appropriate amount of crime prevention that is both necessary and sensible according to the current safety analysis by applying trained security staff together with mechanical and electronic security technology.

The same goes for all sorts of crises that occur, mostly due to an unfortunate chain of events or influencing factors. Even if a company has so far been spared from crises, one must nevertheless give thought to the solution to such situations. Crises can be set off by fires, power failure, bomb threats, product blackmail, general crime, computer viruses and hacking, failure of suppliers or loss of customers, IT problems or the unavailability of decision-makers. Crisis management must include, amongst other things, the development of a strategy, the appointment of a crisis team and their training.

Also the strategic framework and the correct information policy, that can be critical to the progression and extent of the crisis, must be defined by the company management. For that reason, the Head of Communications must be included in the crisis team. Preparatory contact to the authorities and ororganisations and their corresponding contact people is just as important as the preparation of check lists, action and emergency plans.

Security Technology Helps

Strategically installed mechanical locks are a prime factor in all security considerations. They can provide a defined obstacle to criminals and thereby possibly prevent a break-in, or at least make this far more difficult. Barriers often provide noise reduction as well as being important from a criminal and insurance aspect. Basic elements of effective break-in prevention according to the level of security are:

• mechanical perimeter barriers (fences, walls, climbing prevention, foliage, vehicle barriers), 
• access control systems (for employees, visitors and delivery entrances),
• facades with the same degree of resistance as the openings, without climbing aids or the possibility to conceal or store anything, 
• security glass in the entrance gate area and also 
• in other sensitive areas that can be easily reached without assistance (e.g. the ground floor), acc. DIN EN 356 (against manual attack, if applicable) or acc. DIN EN 1063 (against firearms), 
• VdS (insurance company association)-recognised break-in resistant doors (DIN V EN V 1627-1630), i.e. the door body, hinges, doorframe, multi-point locking, protective layers and locks that are protected against drilling, grinding and removal have been tested. 

The safe keeping of important files and data can also prevent damaging operational interruptions. There is a wide range of tested valuables containers and data safes on the market. The latter can be either free-standing safes or they can be built into a wall. Valuables containers that have been tested or certified can be recognised by appropriate stickers, e.g.: certification acc. EN 1143-1, RAL-RG 627, VdS damage prevention or ECB-S.

They guarantee the user the best quality and, depending upon the degree of resistance, grade and class of lock, provide standardised security features against fire, break-in and loss of data.

Electronic Protection

This mechanical protection is supplemented by an electronic security concept, for example, with burglar alarms that are highly recommended in warehouses and to protect valuable office equipment. They can deter, report forced entry and, best of all, enable the apprehension of burglars at the scene. There are two broad options for burglar alarms to protect against break-ins: on the one hand, object protection where specific areas are monitored by movement detectors; on the other hand, monitoring the outer perimeter of the building, in particular the windows and doors (in some cases also the complete ‚skin‘) for break-ins and unauthorised opening.

However, the latter requires a relatively large installation effort and high expense. In most cases it is sufficient for uninhabited objects, dependent upon estimates and the building‘s condition, to provide protection with a silent alarm either to a qualified security service or to the police. The project planning, alarming and alarm reaction should also be discussed with the insurers and, if necessary, the police or security services.

Video Surveillance

Video surveillance is helpful for many branches of the production industry and also has a strong deterrent effect, e.g. for:

• access controls, gate and delivery monitoring, 
• property and object surveillance, 
• protection of the environment, 
• fire alerting for both interior and exterior sites, 
• surveillance as a theft deterrent and 
• application in safety at work. 

Surveillance is inconspicuous and can be carried out from a central point with the help of modern technology (intelligent video management). Through the use of 360° cameras, miniaturisation, digitalisation, increased sensitivity, improved definition, better processing and memory capacity and CCTV-compatibility with standard PCs it has been proven that the application of video technology is justified also for such purposes.

Legally there is no hindrance to its preventative use when, as required by the Works Constitution Act, the employees‘ representatives agree, honour is respected and privacy is not invaded.

Investment in the Future

A thorough and regular review of a company‘s security is always sensible. Every „security stocktake“ with competent analysis and a targeted individual security concept brings stability and planning confidence, and reduces damage risks.

It is not evident that damaging events, natural catastrophes, human behaviour or crime will alter much in the foreseeable future. Taking wellbalanced preventative measures, adapted to the local dangers and crime situation, is therefore the only method of effectively counteracting damage and loss.

And all technical security measures that are taken for the production industry are therefore good investments in the future.

Heiner Jerofsky
Criminal Councillor