ASME to Set Guidelines for Study and Management of Homeland Security Risks.

Business Editors

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 17, 2003

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded ASME a $1.6 million grant to lead a consortium of public, private and professional organizations in developing a guidance document for assessing risk analysis and risk management for critical infrastructure assets.

The project will provide an overall methodology and framework for risk analysis for homeland security decision-making by using common terminology and a standard reporting process to gather the results of risk studies. The methods will apply to critical infrastructure sectors, with an emphasis on nuclear power plants, spent nuclear fuel facilities, chemical plants, petroleum refineries, liquefied natural gas storage facilities, subway systems and railroads, and highways, including bridges and tunnels.

DHS has asked ASME to spearhead the development of this document called Guidance on Risk Analysis and Management for Homeland Security, so that national public and private resources can have a common process for screening areas of potential vulnerability within the infrastructure in order to determine the most significant risks. These risks can then be evaluated and addressed using the research and development of advanced technologies to counter terrorism.

The project is led by ASME's Critical Assets Protection Initiative. CAPI serves primarily to provide ready access to in-depth expertise that supports DHS, its internal groups and other agencies with responsibilities relating to security and assurance.

CAPI will also incorporate public awareness efforts to gain support for the use of risk analysis in assessing homeland security decision-making needs.

Kenneth R. Balkey, chair of ASME's CAPI Risk Analysis Team, says that the project provides both an opportunity and a challenge to develop guidance for risk analysis and risk management for homeland security. "ASME, working in collaboration with other professional engineering societies, industry groups, national laboratories and universities, provides a unique approach to effectively assist a key federal agency, as well as other government organizations and the private sector, in protecting the critical assets of the nation," said Balkey.

While significant vulnerability assessment and risk analysis efforts are well underway within some national infrastructure sectors, Balkey says that, at present, results cannot be readily compared across sectors for decision-making purposes. "This project will provide a common framework for performing risk analysis to assess the effectiveness of proposed critical asset protection initiatives to support decisions at various levels of government and private industry, " added Balkey.

According to DHS officials who attended the recent project announcement meeting in Washington, the guidance document would become a model of collaboration between DHS and other federal and non-governmental organizations. The guidance project is expected to be completed within a year.

"With a common basis for reporting results of risk studies, we will be able to better understand the risks to focus national public and private resources in addressing areas of vulnerability within the nation's infrastructure," concluded Balkey.

ASME is a 120,000-member professional organization focused on technical, educational and research issues of the engineering and technology community. ASME conducts one of the world's largest technical publishing operations, holds numerous technical conferences worldwide, and offers hundreds of professional development courses each year. ASME sets internationally recognized industrial and manufacturing codes and standards that enhance public welfare and safety.