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Security vs. Safety
What is Security?
Security is often related to preventing individuals, organisations and assets against external threats and criminal activities, more precisely, "intentional unlawful acts", to make them preventively inactive. It is important to note that Security is geared towards deliberate actions to inflict harm on an individual, organisation or even property.
What is Safety?
Safety is about measures to prevent aspects that can cause damage. The term Safety refers to the efforts and behaviours to protect oneself and prevent a completely involuntary risk.
Definitions of Safety and Security:
Security refers to protecting individuals, organisations, and property against external threats that could cause harm. It is clear that Security is generally focused on hypothetical external factors that voluntarily plan and lead to damage in the future.
Safety; is the feeling of being protected from those factors that cause damage. Or rather, an individual who controls the factors that drive risk with prevention systems feels safe.
Furthermore, concerning the sources of damage, it is customary to use the terms Risk for the Safety and Threat for Security.
External Affairs
Security is always an external affair. People feel safe in a Security context only if they perceive a degree of protection from external factors that could damage them. This is why an impassable perimeter, enforced fences, manned gates by specific personnel are excellent deterrents for threats and the best perception of the fundamental security level of the facility.
Deliberate and Intentional
The critical difference between Safety and Security remains the principle of the intentional unlawful act. Security is the protection against deliberate threats and unwanted threats. The Security countermeasures are generally driven to protect from deliberate threats caused by criminals who intend to sabotage company operations, steal organisation assets or harm an individual. This means that Security is geared towards protection against criminal activities perpetrated by criminals. On the opposite side, Safety countermeasures are geared toward unintentional accidents. For example, individuals are required to wear safety clothing or helmets in a chemical organisation to be protected from accidents.
Security Awareness
Port Facility personnel without specific security duties - most of the personnel operating in a port facility - are not required to become a security expert. Still, they need to receive security awareness training.
Port facility officers are encouraged to take security awareness courses to all other personnel operating at the port facility, even if not direct employees, including contractors, regular suppliers, to promote full security awareness.
Staff awareness can be achieved in several ways. Personnel is trained on security issues by the PFSO or periodic internal training sessions. All personnel can be involved on a rotating basis with exercises or drills that the port facility must perform. The PFSO can conduct quarterly security briefings at the end of the exercises/drills. Awareness can be maintained through communications to staff, ongoing training, newsletter or poster/signage.
Threats Analysis by Risk Assessment
Through the PFSA (Port Facility Security Assessment), the risks of a specific port facility are assessed. The PFSA will contain the following information:
- Threats;
- Frequency of the threat;
- Likelihood of the threat happening;
- Level of the vulnerability of the port facility;
- Risk reduction measures (countermeasures).
As indicated in the ISPS Code Part A and B in paragraph 15.11, the port facility security assessment should consider all possible threats, such as the following types of incidents:
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Damage to, or destruction of, the port facility or of the ship, e.g. by explosive devices, arson, sabotage or vandalism;
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Hijacking or seizure of the ship or of persons on board;
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Tampering with cargo, essential ship equipment or systems or shipís stores;
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Unauthorised access or use, including the presence of stowaways;
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Smuggling weapons or equipment, including weapons of mass destruction;
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Use of the ship to carry those intending to cause a security incident and their equipment;
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Use of the ship itself as a weapon or as a means to cause damage or destruction;
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Blockages of port entrances, locks, approaches etc;
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Nuclear, biological and chemical attacks (CBRN).
Furthermore, the 'kidnapping of people' present in the facility or on the ship, the possibility of 'cluster effects' by security incidents and the 'unauthorised UAV' (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) activity are considered eventual scenarios.