Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
any, protective measures to employ to secure
return-air grills. Take caution that a selected
measure does not adversely affect the perfor-
mance of the building HVAC system. Some
return-air grill protective measures include (1)
relocating return-air grills to inaccessible, yet
observable locations, (2) increasing security
presence (human or CCTV) near vulnerable
return-air grills, (3) directing public access
away from return-air grills, and (4) removing
furniture and visual obstructions from areas
near return air-grills.
7.
Restrict access to building operation systems
by outside personnel
. To deter tampering by
outside maintenance personnel, a building
staff member should escort these individuals
throughout their service visit and should visu-
ally inspect their work before final acceptance
of the service. Alternatively, building owners
and managers can ensure the reliability of
pre-screened service personnel from a trusted
contractor.
8.
Restrict access to building information
. Infor-
mation on building operations—including
mechanical, electrical, vertical transport,
fire and life safety, security system plans
and schematics, and emergency operations
procedures—should be strictly controlled.
Such information should be released to autho-
rized personnel only, preferably by the devel-
opment of an access list and controlled copy
numbering.
9.
General building physical security upgrades
.
In addition to the security measures
for HVAC and other building operations
described earlier, physical security upgrades
can enhance the overall security of a building.
A building or building complex might have
security fencing and controlled access points.
Some buildings such as museums are, by their
very nature, openly accessible to the public.
However, even in these buildings, areas such
as mechanical rooms need to remain off-
limits to unauthorized individuals. Unless the
building is regarded as open to the general
public, owners and managers should consider
Figure C.4
areas of the building. Some of these measures
are more feasible for new construction or
buildings undergoing major renovation.
Building access from lobby areas should
be limited by security checks of individuals
and packages prior to their entry into secure
areas. Lobby isolation is particularly critical
in buildings where the main lobbies are open
to the public. Similar checks of incoming mail
should also occur before its conveyance into
the secure building areas. Side entry doors
that circumvent established security check-
points should be strictly controlled.
6.
Secure return air grills
. Similar to the
outdoor-air intake, HVAC return-air grills
that are publicly accessible and not easily
observed by security may be vulnerable
to targeting for CBR contaminants. Public
access facilities may be the most vulnerable to
this type of CBR attack. A building-security
assessment can help determine, which,
if
