Best Practices for physical security of facility
Len-IDEA
We are doing a review of our physical security for our plants. Was wondering if there are any best practices that can be helpful to understand DE benchmarking or how our peers approach this risk area.
Edward T. Borer Jr.
I would not consider what we do “best practices” but for comparison:
· Our plant is continuously staffed by at least three people on all shifts.
· Weekday shifts we have about 10 people in the plant (operations, maintenance, management).
· We are a small enough group to recognize anyone who doesn’t belong there.
· All staff are expected to challenge unfamiliar visitors who are not escorted.
· All outside contractors are required to check in with the main control room upon arrival and before leaving every day.
· Doors are not always secured during weekday shifts. We are discussing a change to that protocol.
· Vehicle and loading dock entrances are only operable from the inside. They can be secured with a roll-up door or expanding metal gate to allow fresh air and sunlight into the plant.
· We use keys for doors and padlocks. We are considering moving to a card-access protocol for main entrances.
· During second, third, and weekend shifts all doors are supposed to be secured. This is hard to enforce 100%, but we are improving.
· We have a simple video/voice intercom between the main personnel entrances and the control room.
· Roof access scuttles are secured with a padlock unless they are in use.
· Access to the thermal storage tank ladder, tank sump, and plant chimney ladders is secured with key locks.
· We take IT security very seriously and have a dedicated server room within the plant for the plant SCADA and related devices. This requires card access and permission is limited to a very small population. It is visible from a control room. All SCADA panels are fitted with hard locks. Many additional details here.
Ted Borer, PE, CEM, LEED AP
Princeton University
Energy Plant Manager
MacMillan Building, Elm Drive
Princeton, NJ 08543-2158
Cell: (609) 731-2327
Home: (609) 466-3322
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Russell Thompson
For our two chiller plants and two steam plants:
· All access points to facilities is via card swiped controlled doors (24/7)
· All visitors are checked in by admin or control room operator via video/voice intercom
· External areas of concern (gas regulation stations, chemical storage, etc) are gated and card swipe controlled
· Main control room in plant has additional card swipe with even more limited access
· Recently completed installation of cameras covering external areas adjacent to plants and most internal equipment areas. These are monitored in central utility control room with recording in university’s data center.
Regards,
Russell Thompson
Director of Utilities & Engineering
Facilities Management Department
Duke University
O: 919-660-1494
C: 919-323-9300
Manning, Robert
Also won’t claim “best” practice but a few other things that may be “better” practice:
Card access system should be two factor (something you have and something you know), so in our case that means the card reader also has a keypad. Use your card and punch in PIN. That way if you drop your card on the way out it can’t be used by someone who finds it during the intervening time before losing it and realizing it is missing.
If perimeter of plant (all doors /access from outside) is two factor, then it may be acceptable to have interior spaces just card access.
Doors with card access still need to be keyed (with limited distribution keys) for emergency backup. In all cases using a key should trigger alarm.
Card access should move away from swipe (magnetic strip) to touch (proximity)
Camera system linked to card access system (auto pan and zoom on door being activated, alarm being received, etc.)
Any door/access not in regular use that is padlocked instead of card access should still have a monitored alarm that detects when it opens
Bob