Design, Construct and Operate to Mitigate Job Hazards and Threats/Vulnerability

 

February 26, 2020 was the 27th anniversary of the terrorist bombing of the World Trade Center in New York, USA.   This anniversary marks the start of a new era for design and construction requirements on projects funded by the government in the United States.   Rightly so, the development of projects since then have considered and incorporated structural hardening, security measures, and monitoring and surveillance enhancements.   It also introduced, military warfare type analyses for certain situations, metrics for injuries and casualties, and the consequential and collateral impacts to persons and damage to property.     

On September 11, 2001, a second terrorist action had far greater impact.   It too expanded the realization of threats and vulnerabilities on infrastructure around the world.

As of August 1, 2007, Owners using US government funding for capital projects are required to certify that the design deliverables and construction products demonstrate that they mitigate job hazards for product use, and they mitigate exposure to potential threats and vulnerabilities from the environment and other atypical influences.  Additionally, public agencies aso adapted more comprehensive processes to protect infrastructure and persons.

Design, Construct and Operate to Mitigate Hazards, Threats and Vulnerabilities

For most projects, job hazards are associated the contractor’s and supplier’s means and methods of construction or product manufacturing processes.   But the scope of the Systems Certification is to identify job hazards associated with persons that will operate and use the product completed by the project.   For rail transit projects, the users include employees, customers and members of the public.    Some of the hazards may be similar in categories but the potential impacts and the mitigation may be different.   For job hazards that can not be addressed by the designer or contractor, there will be accepted mitigations by the Owner, including operator training, personnel licenses and education, standard procedure and practices, and personal protective equipment.

The government, industry experts, and statutory agencies and authorities overseeing the management and operation of infrastructure have initiated standard protocols and certifications for projects.   The purpose of the certification requirements is to assure that the Owner, designer and contractor verify that the systems and security requirement are fulfilled in each project within the regions infrastructure, including transportation systems, government facilities, ports and cargo transfer facilities, and multi-modal hubs/facilities.  

The Certifications are a systematic review and verification that the job hazards, threats and vulnerabilities are addressed in the project deliverables during the milestones for:  

Design:  Verification proves the construction or purchase contract specified the technical requirements and product features to mitigate the job hazards, threats and vulnerabilities.  

Construction:  Verification proves the constructed or manufactured product is tested, and it meets the quality for contract requirements, which mitigate the job hazards, threats and vulnerabilities.

Start Up and Operation (Final):  Verification proves the accepted product from the contractor demonstrates operation with features, controls and procedures that protect the users and mitigates the defined job hazards, threats and vulnerabilities. 

The Certification processes and documents consist of a Certifiable Items List, job hazards or TV topics, design specifications and drawings, construction inspection and tests, startup and commissioning procedures and signatures of verification experts.   These documents are supplemented with Expert analyses and judgment by certified safety and security professional affirming the product requirements or Owner operational assets, procedures and operator training to mitigate potential job hazards and TV topics.  

The Certifiable Items List, job hazards and TV topics are defined by the Owner/Buyer organization based on past experience with design, construction and operation of similar equipment or constructed products or as defined by design consultants from new and emerging products proposed for the project. 

Systems Certification

Job hazards are the potential for injuries or death from the normal operation, inspection and maintenance of the designed product.  The designers and constructors of the project products will document the job hazards are mitigated by specifying and constructing the project with industry suppliers of equipment and systems.  Some job hazards to may include:

• Caught in equipment
• Struck by equipment
• Cut/dismembered by equipment
• Burned by fluid or heated equipment
• Improper operation
• Bypassing safety features
• Electric shock, shorts, electrocution

The mitigations may include:

• Safety covers and appliances
• Electrical grounding and switches
• Personal protective equipment
• Operational procedures

The verifications involves demonstrating the construction/product specifications and drawings or operator procedures contain requirements that are proven to address hazards that might be encountered from use by qualified operators and from public persons using the product.  

Security Certification

Threats and vulnerabilities (TV) are the potential for property damage and injuries or death to persons due to accidental or intentional acts of distracted persons, criminals or terrorists upon the project product.  The mitigation of the threats and vulnerabilities are incorporated into product features such as bollards, barrier gates, high security fencing, crash walls, blast walls/shutters, planters, and surveillance cameras.   Some TV may include:

• Rammed by vehicles
• Impacted by explosive devices
• Exposed to biological, chemical and radioactive materials
• Hacker penetrated computers, network and corporate assets
• Breached by intruder and active shooter

The mitigations may include:

• Perimeter security lighting, fencing. bollards and gates
• Surveillance camera monitoring critical entrances, exits and secluded areas
• Access and intrusion detection devices
• Air, chemical, biological and radiological monitoring devices
• Computer and communication equipment firewalls
• Employee and Customer help stations
• Crowd control gates and barriers

The verification involves demonstrating the construction/product specifications and drawings contain requirements that are proven to address TV situations that might be encountered from outside influences. 

For more information, see Circular FTA C 5800.1, Safety and Security Management Guidance for Major Capital Projects.   https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulations-and-guidance/fta-circulars/safety-and-security-management-guidance-major-capital

TIP:    For projects where the Owner has comprehensive technical requirements that are routinely used to replace in-kind or construct identical facilities/equipment, it is likely the Owner already has a System Safety Management Plan that includes a standardized list of hazards, threat and vulnerabilities associated with the technical requirements.