Risk Assessment Stages - Essay Example

?  Risk Assessment Risk Assessment So as to create an environment that is safe for everyone, a number of factors should be taken into account. The first step includes taking a threat assessment whereas the hazard or threat is ascertained, outlined, and quantified. In a situation involving terrorism, the threat is the individuals or groups of people that are present. They have the ability and a past of expressing purpose for using actions that are perceived as hostile. Sometimes, they use actual procedures that are hostile against potential targets. The history and ability of terrorists involves any method they have utilized to accomplish their objectives. Secondly, the risk assessment process should identify the building asset value that requires safeguarding, or protection. The third step is conducting a vulnerability assessment (Baranoff, Harrington & Niehaus, 2006). A vulnerability assessment appraises the probable vulnerability of essential assets against a wide range of hazards or threats that have been identified. A vulnerability assessment gives a foundation for establishing measures of mitigation. These may be required to protect essential assets in a building. A vulnerability assessment acts as a connection between hazard or threat, value of asset, and the consequential risk level. Step four is the risk assessment. This stage involves analyzing the threat, value of asset, and vulnerability to determine the risk value of each and every significant asset against any threat that can be applicable. Moreover, a threat that would happen and has extremely little consequence may need mitigation measures that are easy and of low cost. Those that are more likely to occur, but have consequences that are particularly massive may need mitigation measures that are complex, and more expensive (Wheeler, 2011). The risk assessment process should provide a comparative risk profile. A combination of asset risks that are high against connected threats, with the vulnerability that has been identified, permit resource prioritization to put into practice mitigation measures. The last step is to take into account mitigation procedures that are directly linked with, and receptive to; the key risks ascertained during the risk assessment. All the five stages make up risk management. The purpose of the process of assessment is to realize the protection level required. This is through the execution of mitigation measures in a designed building. The mitigation measures may decrease the risk by denying, detecting, devaluing or deterring the probable threat component before, or during a terrorist attack. In addition, mitigation measures may lessen the risk of injury or damage by imparting a satisfactory protection level if there is an occurrence of a risk. It may also work to dissuade an aggressor further (Crouhy, Galai & Mark, 2005). This paper will look at a risk assessment of the Seattle Space Needle building. Threat Identification and Rating  There are many hazards that are manmade. This makes necessary to comprehend the individuals who have the intention of harming others. On the other hand, it is fundamental to be familiar with an aggressor’s tactics, weapons, and tools. The Seattle Space Needle building designers recognize that tactics, tools, and weapons can change quicker than the building can be customized against the threats that are posed. They acquired the hazard or threat assessment information from local emergency management, local enforcement, the Homeland Security department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Crouchy, Mark & Galai, 2000). For risks or hazards that involve technology, they got information from the Local Emergency Planning Committee, State Emergency response Commission, hazardous materials unit, and the local fire department. These organizations isolate facilities that are significant in zones that are vulnerable and create management plans for emergencies. Moreover, many fire departments have information on industries in a local area that have many of the materials that are combustible. In addition, the department of hazardous material unit knows who takes care of materials that could negatively affect people, and their surroundings. The individuals with intentions to cause harm to others search for political; monetary gain, or publicity when they conduct their activities. Their actions damage or destroy equipment, facilities, resources or property. They may steal material, information, or equipment; kill or injure other people. The aggressors’ methods can be vehicles, surveillance, or tools of forced entry (Goss, 2010). Their weapons can comprise of small arms; explosives; military weapons; biological, radiological, and/or chemical weapons. Some of them are incendiary gadgets. The explosives are made up of stolen industrial, military, and homemade varieties. These are put together in small and large sizes. Their tactics include stationery vehicle bombs; moving vehicle bombs; ballistic attacks; mail bombs; covert entries; waterborne contamination; and exterior attacks. The Seattle Space Needle building employs the United States military technique for its assessment. The building is well secured, and it is designed to hold out an attack. This makes it a low target of terrorist attacks. If it suffers a terror attack, it will encounter little or no damage. Individuals who carry out terrorist attacks select places that have immense value, for example, a government building or a commercial area. The Seattle Space Needle houses several business premises and offices. This may make it a possible target of a terror attack (Goss, 2010). A manmade hazard or threat analysis entails a link with intelligence and security organizations. These organizations have proper information on the locality, area, and the entire country. These organizations consist of the local Federal Bureau of Investigation, the department of police, and the local office of state police. Additionally, the Seattle Space Needle building and the surrounding areas have committees of threat coordination so as to promote information sharing (Haimes, 2009). The most common method of evaluating threats used by the Seattle Space Needle building is analyzing capability, existence, intention, history, and targeting. Capability Capability answers the questions: What are the weapons that have been used to carry out attacks in the past? Do the terrorists have to come with them in the target area? Are they locally available? Existence Existence should look at questions like, who might be aggressive to the community, assets, or the organization concerned? Are they considered past or present? Can they find their way in to the country, or can they be easily identified when they arrive in a local community? Intention Intention answers the questions: What does the person planning a terror attack wish to achieve? How will people know this? History History should look at questions like what has the individual planning a terror threat done over the years, and on how many occasions? When were the most current attack and place? Who or what were the target? What strategies did they utilize? Do they have support from other people or groups? How did they get their established ability? Targeting Targeting answers the questions: Do we have knowledge of if the aggressor may be conducting surveillance on the building that is housing us, buildings close by, or buildings with similarities to ours? Is this information recent and dependable? Can it indicate preparations for terrorist attacks? The hazard or threat analysis of the Seattle Space Needle building ranges from a general hazard or threat state of affairs to a comprehensive scrutiny of people, tactics and groups that it requires to be defended against. Terrorists or people planning attacks will always examine the building to establish the tactics, attack, and weapon to use so as to carry out the attacks.  Asset Value Assessment  To make possible the building’s value and people’s assets, interviews have been conducted to individuals who have proper information on the assets. The interviewers have sought inputs from the owners of the building, tenants, and staffs, as well as any other person who can help give information on the assets that are of most value. There is also a list of considered areas before the start of actual interviewing. In addition, proper research and planning by the interviewers have provided questions that are relevant and give adequate results. An asset is a valuable commodity that needs to be protected. It can be intangible or tangible (Goss, 2010). The Seattle Space Needle building has identified and prioritized the most valuable assets. They have, thus increased the protection level in case of a terrorist attack. The first step of an asset value is assessment. This establishes the main processes and functions required for the building to continue functioning or providing services after a terror attack. This also helps to know the functions of the building, the processes involved, and how threats can impact the building. The Seattle Space Needle building rents space or premises to businesses and offices. In addition, the businesses consist of stores, malls and cinema halls. The offices are of airline organizations and some government institutions. The building occupants are mainly children who come to have fun, their family members, and other people who come to acquire airline and government services. An evaluation of building infrastructure should follow the identification of the key processes and functions (Goss, 2010). In case of a terrorist attack on Seattle Space Needle building, there may be a few injuries and deaths, or none at all. If an asset is destroyed, the functions of the building will continue as usual as the management has placed measures that deal with such occurrences. If other organizational assets are lost, the process service provision may be affected for a while before the situation is corrected. Additionally, there is vital information that is stored in the building and incase of an attack, there exists a backup for all building assets and the replacements can be easily accessed. This is after, or in the event of a terror attack. Key equipment in the building is situated in a place away from the rest of the population (Baranoff, Harrington & Niehaus, 2006). On the other hand, the building’s personnel workers are located in most areas of the building. These people are well trained to handle emergency situations. They are situated in areas, in the building, near emergency assets, hence easing their work in case of an emergency. After lists of the building’s resources or assets that are valuable have been identified, they are given a value. Asset value is the extent of incapacitating the effect that would be brought by a building’s asset damage (Crouchy, Mark & Galai, 2000). The scales that can be used include numerical systems and linguistic scales. The Seattle Space Needle building utilizes the linguistic scale. Vulnerability Assessment When a building designer knows the anticipated hazard or threat ability, he or she can integrate the knowledge of the hazard with the site and build information. This is by carrying out a vulnerability assessment. A vulnerability assessment is a profound analysis of the characteristics, functions, and systems of the building. It establishes corrective measures or mitigations that can be implemented or designed to lessen the vulnerabilities. A vulnerability assessment should be conducted on buildings that are in existence and the design included in designing renovation and new construction. A close level determining shows the building and site being designed or renovated. It may assist in identifying the security standards that are most applicable (Wheeler, 2011). The Seattle Space Needle building uses the GSA technique. It outlines an analysis of building vulnerability that is highly detailed. It offers adequate suggestions for security procedures that are most suitable for putting in a building for occupancies and facilities size. Additionally, a more quantitative ranking or evaluation of a building put side by side by another may be necessitated in some cases (Haimes, 2009). The DOJ, office of Justice Programs give an approach that is objective to ascertain vulnerability. DOJ’s hazard or threat assessment implements factors that are consequence management and threat assessment centered. It gives a way of ranking buildings that are quantitative. Risk Assessment Risk is the possibility of a damage or loss to an asset. Risk is measured by the asset value in association to the vulnerabilities, and threats linked to it. Risk is found on the possibility of the threat happening and the effect of the happening. A risk assessment analyzes the hazard, asset value, and vulnerabilities to make certain the risk level for every asset against any hazard or threat that is applicable. A risk assessment gives architect and engineers a risk profile that describes the assets that are the utmost risk against threats that are particular. There are many technologies for undertaking a risk assessment (Goss, 2010). One method is that of assembling the outcomes of the vulnerability assessment, asset value assessment, threat assessment, determining a numeric worth of risk for every hazard or threat and asset pair in agreement with the formula Threat rating by Asset value by Vulnerability rating = Risk. The method has been implemented in Seattle Space Needle building during the process of designing, in addition to structures that exist. The first step is identifying the people and asset value that need protection. Then, there should a performance of threat assessment so as to define and identify the hazards and threats that may be harmful to a building and those inside it. After that, a vulnerability assessment is conducted to find out the weak points that may be used by the attackers (Haimes, 2009). Finally, after all these processes the risk can be computed. Risk assessment helps to ascertain mitigation options that can help reduce the risk. Mitigation options The building regulatory system has established mitigation measures against natural disasters via regulatory, building codes backed by accepted methods of inspection, assessment, and regulation. Moreover, a number of societal goals and manmade risks have also been adopted. Nonetheless, the system has not fully dealt with threats that arise from terrorism. The Seattle Space Needle building designer knows the base of the threat design. The designer takes into consideration the size of various weapons, bomb size, and vehicles size. This is so as to give adequate protection level. The building conducts a risk assessment and contains the risk by setting up mitigation measures that are reasonable (Wheeler, 2011). A building design and process of construction should move from identifying the use of a building, to the construction. References Baranoff, E. G., Harrington, S. E., & Niehaus, G. R. (2006). Risk assessment. Pennsylvania: AICPCU. Crouchy, M., Mark, R., & Galai, D. (2000). Risk management. New York: McGraw-Hill. Crouhy, M., Galai, D., & Mark, R. (2005). The essentials of risk management. New York: McGraw-Hill. Goss, J. (2010). Torchwood: Risk assessment. New York: Random House. Haimes, Y. Y. (2009). Risk modeling, assessment, and management (3rd ed.). New Jersey: Wiley. Hurst, N. (1998). Risk assessment. Illinois: Royal Society of Chemistry. Wheeler, E. (2011). Security risk management: Building an information security risk management program from the ground up. Massachusetts: Syngress. Read More