Occupational Health and Safety

LECTURE 10 – External Force: Terrorism

INSTRUCTOR: ASST. PROF. DR. SEVKET C. BOSTANCI

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Objectives
• Understand the compelling reasons for preparing for terrorist attack in business

• Identify some of the key historical events causing the humans to get prepared for
terrorism

• List critical areas of concern that need to be addressed in terrorism preparation

• Understand the role of the safety and health professional in company terrorism
planning activities

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• The common thread is terrorism. The constant theme is increased violence, destruction
of property, and loss of life. Each attack has taken terrorism to a new level in terms of
audacity, mayhem, cost, and human suffering. The problem of terrorism is a difficult one.
The terrorist lives among us.

• Terrorists have access to as much information and know as much about our vulnerabilities
as nearly any one of us more than most because they have been studying our weaknesses

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• Since September 11, 2001, the reality of the damage and effects upon the workplace from
terrorism has been realized by employers; it had not been a highly publicized fact that
terrorism could in fact be a problem for employers. Employers have had to make provisions
for employees to protect company and business personnel and their facilities from dangers
from outside the workplace that would inflict death and pain upon employees while exacting
maximum damage upon the physical assets of the workplace.

• All of a sudden, employers realized that terrorism was their problem and responsibility.
Employees considered their safety and well-being threatened by the potential dangers posed
by terrorism.

• The tools of terrorism are the conventional weapons of war and assaults (guns, rockets,
bombs, etc.) but also the weapons of nuclear, chemical, and biological (NBC) agents that
could result in mass destruction and loss of life.
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• No effort to deter terrorism is foolproof. Taking no action to assess the risk, take control, and
implement actions to protect employees and the workplace is not an option. It cannot be
assumed that all acts of terrorism can be prevented. Thus, employers must make some
preparation for such events so that damage will be minimal and recovery from any such
disaster will be rapid. This includes the following:
- Antiterrorism training, Self-protective behavior, Protection devices (e.g., bullet proof
vest), Safe activities that decrease personal risk, Security provisions, Hardening potential
targets, Planning that is implemented and practiced

• Most terrorist operations are planned and carried out with a degree of expertise. They seek to
exploit the targets that are vulnerable while attempting to minimize their own risk, with the
exception of suicide attackers. For the most part, terrorist acts are limited to six basic forms:
bombings, assassinations, armed assaults, kidnapping, barricade and hostage situations, and
hijackings. Bombings are the most common. All in their most basic form are simple criminal
acts.

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 Responsibilities
• Although no written terrorism program is required by law, it could easily be included in
any comprehensive safety or loss control program. At minimum it should be attached to
the emergency preparedness program.

• Many companies address bomb threats or even worker unrest, as in strikes or walkouts.

• Companies are also expanding their programs to incorporate terrorism and acts of
subversion within the company. New architecture, building plans, and company activities
are viewed in light of potential adverse effects of terrorist activities.

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Planning
• The approach to terrorism is similar to that of other safety problems.

• First is consideration of vulnerabilities and probabilities of attack.

• Sometimes companies attempt to suppress adverse publicity, but a thorough search may
turn up information not readily available. Determine whether your company or other
similar companies have faced terrorist problems in the past.

• History may repeat itself. In the initial stages of evaluation of your facility, carefully
consider each of the following points to assess the facility for target potential.

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Activities
• Chemicals in large quantities—explosives, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fuels, energy
sources, poisons—or mechanical devices are just a few of the items requiring careful
guarding.

• Follow processes from beginning to end and identify easy or high-risk targets. Work toward
protecting them first.

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Protection from Chemical, Biological, or Radiological Attacks
• There are no foolproof ways to prevent the effects of a terrorist attack on the workplace. Also,
there is no way to predict which facility might be attacked. But, knowledge of the business or
businesses in the vicinity may make it more likely that certain facilities will be targeted for an
attack using NBC; this will help determine the risk. If particular businesses or companies are an
easy target and have done nothing to act as a deterrent from an NBC attack, then employers
are being negligent since it is know that such an attack is a possibility.

• Everything in this section assumes that the attack on your facility will use airborne materials
that can be injected into the workplace heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC)
system and dispersed throughout the facility. Understanding the systems in your facility and
how they operate will allow you to incorporate some of the recommendation in this section,
thus better protecting your workplace and its workforce from an NBC attack.

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• Preventing terrorist access to a targeted facility requires physical security of entry,
storage, roof, and mechanical areas, as well as securing access to the outdoor air intakes
of the facility’s HVAC system.

• The physical security needs of each workplace should be assessed, as the threat of an
NBC attack will vary considerably from workplace to workplace. Procedures and
preventive maintenance schedules should be implemented for cleaning and maintaining
ventilation system components. Replacement filters, parts, and so forth should be
obtained from known manufacturers and examined prior to installation. It is important
that ventilation systems be maintained and cleaned according to the manufacturer’s
specifications.

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• Manufacturers of food products, drugs, cosmetics, or other items of mass consumption are
potential targets. Carefully assess vulnerability to determine how the product could be
contaminated or altered to pose a threat to a large portion of the population. If a company
hosts events or maintains facilities with large gatherings of customers or even employees, it
could be considered a target.

• They attempt to produce maximum psychological trauma. Prime targets may be the air
transportation industry, significant landmarks, or the energy industry, especially including
nuclear power plants. Of course, one of the approaches of terrorism is to strike where it is
not expected. Special precautions should be taken by the unsuspecting, such as hospitals,
universities, and schools, and other areas where vulnerabilities exist and people’s guards
may be down.

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Bottlenecks
• Look at the areas of operation in your facility that might act as bottlenecks in the event
of attack.

• Consider any chemicals, products, or items in your facility that might be used against
your company or others.

• Assess your weakest points. Remember that it is much easier to control the perimeter of
your property and keep would-be terrorists outside than it is to control them once they
are on the inside.

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Location of Your Property
• Obviously, companies in populated areas with high traffic are less likely to notice unusual
activity near the facility than those located in rural areas with one road in and one road
out of the plant.

• Terrorists planning to affect large numbers of people may well prefer to be in a more
populated area for maximum effect. New properties should be carefully examined from a
security standpoint, with special consideration given to the difficulty of protecting real
estate.

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 Fences and Entrances
• Some precautions can be undertaken to help preclude the ability of a terrorist to easily
access the workplace facility or to protect vulnerable areas near and around company
compounds.

• Protecting the perimeter is relatively easy and inexpensive. Once the perpetrator is inside
the facility, the capacity to inflict harm increases dramatically.

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• Some of the actions that can be undertaken are as follows:

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Clear Area around the Premises
• Shrubbery, walls, and sculptures may all become potential hiding places for intruders or
explosives.

• Depending on your desire to maintain a field of view, consider keeping a clear area
extending to a specific distance around each building. Do not give intruders a place to hide
themselves or explosives.

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Doors, Windows, and Other Openings
• Doors, windows, and other openings into the property should be secured and possibly
alarmed.

• Technology permits us to know anytime a building is penetrated. This is critical when no

one is on the premises.

• If there is a way into your property it is likely to be through an existing opening. Check
them all, including those on the roof. Guard or alarm them to repel access by outsiders.

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Lighting Systems
• Lighting by itself is a deterrent to some intruders.

• Poor planning with lighting can cause shaded areas that provide more cover for intruders
than no lighting at all.

• Consider removing or lowering obstructions that cast enough shade for intruders to hide. If
they cannot be removed or lowered, add lighting to illuminate the shaded areas they
provide.

• Parking lots provide a special problem with lighting so consider isolating them behind
fencing with secure entrances to and from the premises.

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Security Systems
• Technology enables unguarded areas to become virtually impossible to enter undetected.
Even moderately sophisticated security systems cannot be disabled or disarmed without
sending out an alarm.

• All openings to the property can be protected. Even fences can be enabled to send an
alert if any intruder attempts to get close to, cut, climb, or get through them in any way.

• Pressure systems determine an intruder’s presence and detectors prevent unnoticed

cutting or climbing.

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Surveillance Systems
• When combined with an appropriate security system, surveillance systems can be
triggered anytime there is movement at any specified level.

• Sensitivity settings can be adjusted to ignore dogs or other small creatures but to detect
human entrance.

• Cameras record all movements of people on the premises and can easily be connected to a
server for 24-hour Internet access.

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Guards and Sentries
• Guards and sentries are needed when mechanical or electronic surveillance devices are
inadequate.

• Of course, this may require 24- hour, 7-day-per-week coverage or a minimum of four full-
time personnel.

• Depending on needs, animals may provide an adequate level of security, and systems
can be adjusted so animals do not trigger them. Guards must be continually trained and
notified of specific threats.

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Entry and Movement of Vehicles and Visitors
• A pass system may be initiated to check all entrants to the premises. Visitors can be
screened by checking identification cards or prearranged passes.

• Employees may also be required to carry identification cards or to wear badges. Electronic
badges or biometric identification points are used to monitor movement inside the
premises and to limit access to certain locations.

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Entry and Movement of Employees
• Carefully check the credentials and backgrounds of all new employees. This is standard
practice under any circumstances but even more so if the facility is subject to terrorist attack.

• Background and criminal checks where legal minimize the possibility of employing individuals
who propose to destroy the organization.

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Threats
• Terrorist threats are often designed to disrupt the organization. A threat of a bomb or some
other terrorist action may only be designed to slow or halt production.

• Attempting to identify the terrorist or the person delivering the threat is helpful.
Receptionists and others receiving the call are instructed to learn all they can about the
caller.

• Whether or not a threat is perceived to be legitimate, decisions must be made as to

evacuate or protect-in-place. It may be safer to stay inside than to move outside the
building.

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 Health and Safety Specialist`s Role
• Prepare a plan to deal with threats and acts of terrorism. Consider employees at every level
and their appropriate responses. In most cases they are instructed to evacuate. Thought
must be given as to how and where they will move.

• A written plan for evacuation to be implemented in conjunction with municipal plans is

essential.

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 Insurance
• The last approach to any loss control problem is insurance. Companies purchase insurance in
case all efforts at loss prevention or control fail. Historically, insurance companies have
refused to pay losses resulting from acts of war.

• Some major insurance companies are also excluding acts of terrorism. The potential for loss
from such acts can be catastrophic for an individual carrier and it may not be willing to run
the risk.

• Companies may be forced to negotiate with insurance carriers in agreeing to take certain
precautionary measures resulting in higher standards of prevention efforts in return for
coverage. The alternative may be no coverage or very limited coverage.

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Conclusion
• There is no way to absolutely eliminate the risks faced with terrorism.

• As with all forms of safety, the goal is to minimize exposure.

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 References
• Buck, G. (2002) Preparing for Biological Terrorism. Albany, NY: Delmar.

• Friend, M.A. and Kohn, J.P. (2007) Fundamentals of Occupational Safety and Health. 4th ed., Government Institutes.
The Scarecrow Press, USA.

• Koradecka, D. (2010) Handbook of Occupational Safety and Health. Taylor and Francis Group. CRC Press, USA.

• Osterholm, M.T. (2001) Bioterrorism: A Real Modern Threat. Emerging Infections 5. Washington, DC: ASM Press.

• Reese, C.D. (2016) Occupational Health and Safety Management – A Practical Approach. 3rd ed. Taylor and Francis
Group. CRC Press, USA.

• Reese, C.D. (2017) Occupational Safety and Health – Fundamental Principles and Philosophies. Taylor and Francis
Group. CRC Press, USA. 28