Intentional acts of interference: attractiveness and vulnerability of industrial sites

Consequences of attacks or acts of interference involving industrial sites where relevant quantities of dangerous substances are processed or stored (as in case of chemical or process industries) may result in severe consequences. On the security side, several Security Vulnerability Assessment (SVA) methods were developed to analyze the problem. However, all the SVA procedures deal mainly with “security” and target vulnerability, but not with “safety” and not with the assessment of the possible consequences of acts of interference. The present study was dedicated to the development of a method for the quantitative assessment of the vulnerability of a target to acts of interference. The aim of the study was to develop a method that could be useful to understand the potential consequences of attacks or of acts of interference, oriented to land use and emergency planning, as well as to prioritize protection actions. Some case studies were considered to test the application of the methodology.