FACILITIES MANAGEMENT POWER UP:


Enhancing physical security in the energy sector


Although organisations within the energy sector invest heavily in resources to protect against the increasing range of cyber threats, physical protection is often overlooked. It is, however, imperative that the importance of physical security in the energy sector is not underestimated, as Steve Wintle, head of CI for Abloy UK, explains


C


ritical infrastructure and the UK economy rely heavily on an uninterrupted and secure


power supply. An unreliable power supply could heavily disrupt our daily lives and may have a potentially devastating impact. National electricity producers operate a wide


variety of sites, including power stations, sub- stations, associated sites, and thousands of miles of transmission lines. Such sites, however, are often widely dispersed and vulnerable to attacks from vandals and thieves.


PROTECTING ASSETS Energy providers need to ensure access control hardware effectively secures these assets to enable them to provide uninterrupted delivery of services, reduce risk of customer lost minutes, reduce operational costs and protect revenues. But while specifiers may assume that an


excellent access control software system delivers convenience and will be supported with high security physical locks fit-for-purpose, this is not always the case. In this era of technological advances, it’s important to not forget the importance of physical security. Not all locks are created equal and should there be an issue with a system’s connectivity, there is peace of mind to be gained from knowing your assets will remain secure with high quality hardware in place. So, what physical measures can facilities


CIPE Manager offers extended reporting and tracking features with a full audit trail of data


CONTROLLING ACCESS AND PROTECTING ASSETS Controlled access of personnel is essential to protect areas and critical assets. Keys still provide practical access, not just for areas such as overhead lines, underground cables, gas pipes and transformers, but also to data centres housing servers that hold customer and operational data. To ensure security of these assets, it’s essential that hardware such as padlocks and cylinders


managers put in place to ensure security is guaranteed across their site?


PROTEC2 CLIQ system is proven to protect power generation sites


can be relied upon to protect against attack. Maintenance and repair teams also need dependable locks that not only resist malicious attack, but enable access for their staff in some of the most extreme environments. Key management is also crucial for any security


system, as lost or stolen keys put assets at uncontrolled risk. This can be an extremely expensive issue to rectify and can result in lost revenue from customer lost minutes, seriously damaging an organisation’s reputation and have potential health and safety issues for staff, contractors and general public.


THE ABLOY SOLUTION With this in mind, Abloy UK’s PROTEC2 CLIQ system is a tried, tested and trusted solution, proven to protect power generation sites – including critical assets in remote and high-risk locations. Combined with the new CIPE Critical Infrastructure Protection Ecosystem, facilities managers in the energy sector can benefit from maximum security protection. The evolution of CIPE means energy providers


can manage access by third parties especially on shared sites, eliminating the risk of lost, stolen or copied keys. It can also validate permissions to access sites, as permissions can be granted and revoked quickly and remotely. Additionally, CIPE Manager offers extended


reporting and tracking features with a full audit trail of data showing who has accessed or attempted to access a site, where and when, allowing users to report anomalies across multiple locations. It can also help businesses enforce H&S


compliance and manage Permit to Work, as the security ecosystem integrates seamlessly with existing supervisory control systems (SCADA), asset management and P2W systems, and contributes to reducing carbon footprints to fulfil sustainability objectives. When it comes to accreditation, these


solutions have been tested and ‘approved for UK government use’ with essential certifications to BS EN 12320, Grade 3 - 6, LPS 1175, LPS 1654 1-4, BS EN 1303, and ATEX certification for explosive environments.


Abloy www.abloy.co.uk


18 ENERGY MANAGEMENT - Autumn 2021 www.energymanagementmag.co.uk


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