Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

Definition of CNI:

Running a Nation requires a complex set of interlinked sectors. Failure of any part of any sector can have grave consequences. The most vital sectors are recognised as: Energy, Water, Communications and Transport. Other interlinked sectors include: Food, Emergency Services, Health, Financial Services and Government. These are Critical National Infrastructure.

The most important duty of a government is the security of the people, whether from internal or from external threats, deliberate or accidental. There is nothing new or unusual in the existence of threats.The source and the nature of the weapons used by those who wish a nation ill are constantly changing. The environment too is changing, and national infrastructure needs to evolve to remain robust.

Risk Assessment:

Risk is a combination of the likelihood of a hazard that could cause damage; and the impact that that damage could cause. A study of these two will determine where effort needs to be spent to ensure security. Further study is needed to determine how best to address the most critical hazards.

Typical risks:

Ignoring war, the UK faces these risks among others, in growing level of potential impact: Cyber Attacks on individual’s data, Animal Disease, Severe Weather, Cyber Attacks on large systems (banks, companies, government IT), Chemical or Biological or Radioactivity Attacks, Disease, Major Transport Accidents, Inland Flooding, Physical Attacks on Infrastruture, Physical Attacks on Transport, Physical Attacks on Crowded Places, Major Industrial Accidents, Coastal Flooding, Pandemic Disease. The likelihood of these hazards put Attacks on Infrastructure (including Chemical and Biological attacks), Attacks on Crowded Places, Attacks on Transport into the category of those risks that deserve effort to mitigate.

How can REIDsteel help mitigate risks:

1. Energy and Water are among the most vital sectors. Some of these plants are very extensive, have large boundaries, have great exposure to the atmosphere. We need to be able to make boundaries safe from attack by fast moving vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (VBIED), and REIDsteel design and manufacture cost effective barriers and gates proven to resist such threats. The structures in which these sectors operate may need to be designed to be robust in resisting blast and damage to supporting members, and REIDsteel make such structures (which will also resist hurricanes and earthquakes). Very large areas such as reservoirs may need to be covered to resistenvironmental attack, and REIDsteel’s expertise with very large structures (such as aircraft hangars) enable them to protect huge areas of water reservoirs (which also, by the way, reduce the volume of water lost by evaporation in sun and wind).
   
2. Attacks on crowded places and attacks on transport are both high likelihood and high impact. REIDsteel surface mounted barriers and gates can protect in any temporary situation, and REIDsteel bollard mounted gates can offer permanent protection against unwanted access. Again, REIDsteel buildings housing public facilities can be designed to be robust.
   
3. The risks mentioned above do not mention the UK at war; lives can be saved, and comfort csan be enhanced, by a full range of REIDsteel structures including bunkers, sangars, gates and barriers which are highly suitable and cost effective in any theatre.
   
4. Blast protection and compartmentalisation are among the most cost effective measures to mitigate some forms of attack.

How to address risk mitigation:

Please ask REIDsteel for anything involving structures, barriers and gates.