Prioritize: Access Control

Manufacturing plants are full of heavy machinery and thousands of moving parts, increasing the
chances of serious or fatal accidents. Because of this fact, employee safety a top priority in the
industry. Manufacturing plants should have an integrated security system to enhance employee
safety measures. When plans are established, productivity can stay at a maximum level even in
times of distress. Manufacturing plant security procedures and systems help to guarantee
productivity. Here is a short summary of all the basic measures and procedures to consider:
Prioritize
One of the first steps in configuring the ideal manufacturing plant security plan is to assess the facility
or work zone. Everything from the machines to equipment to the people and other assets should be
mapped out. Knowing what needs to be protected and/or monitored is an easy starting point. Next,
prioritize the most critical access. If something requires twice as much security as something else,
that needs to be noted. Finally, think about who has access to company assets or security devices,
and how that access can be limited.
Security Measures
Access Control
Access Control allows companies to control who can enter certain parts of the manufacturing plant or
facility. It can also track who is coming and going and when. Access control is necessary component
of maximizing a physical security system and could be considered the first line of defense in general
safety and organization of an industrial workplace. Locks, key cards, and device authentication and
authorization are all good options to secure a manufacturing facility. There are plenty of access
control brands available, all of which have their own special features and advantages that should be
compared before choosing one final solution.

Video Surveillance
Video cameras allow a company to better monitor the entirety of a facility and any suspicious activity.
The most common threats to industrial plants include violence, theft, vandalism, and trespassing.
Most industrial plants have multiple entrances, so an investment in security cameras is a good way to
boost manufacturing plant security. Besides being used to monitor perimeters and suspicious activity,
cameras can also be placed inside machines to identify and troubleshoot issues.
Layers
No network will is secure with just one product, technology, or methodology. A holistic approach
should be applied when protecting manufacturing assets. Multiple layers of defense should be used
(physical, procedural, digital) in order to address any type of threat. When layering, it’s important to
keep in mind the idea of an integrated approach to security to help administrators adapt quickly to
potential emergencies.
Device Profiling
Some workers may have their own tablets, phones, and mobile devices on them when they come to
the workplace. Device and identity profile services can help control and keep tabs on all of these
devices with minimal interruption. A business can monitor, authenticate, and control all users or
applications that connect to the network.
The U.S. Department of Justice determined the three vital functions of an effective security system to
be: detect, delay, respond. With a comprehensive security solution, threats are reduced and overall
asset protection increases. Staff should be reminded of a company’s security strategy on a yearly
basis. Everyone should be trained on all policies and procedures immediately upon hiring and
regularly throughout their tenure.

Contingency Plan
The first step in securing a facility is to assess threats. Contingency planning is when people plan for
all of the possible unknowns that could negatively affect the business. With a contingency plan in
place, the company has a greater chance of reacting smoothly to a disruptive situation. To make this
plan, risks should be assessed in relation to the specific company the plan is for. Both the potential
impact and the likeability of a potential event should be considered.
Mapping out a strict response time to potential risks will ensure that no step is forgotten or looked
over too passively. Delegating jobs in advance to employees will make response processes more
seamless. When brainstorming an emergency plan, keep simplicity in mind. People will understand
simple processes best in high-pressure or tense situations.

Preparation
Employees should always be aware of plans in terms of securing the building. This will minimize
chaos, make reactions quicker, and help in avoiding loss. It’s also important to have security policies
and procedures written down somewhere. These policies should contain who is allowed to access
what, define acceptable asset use, and detail an incident response plan that includes procedures to
restore any critical production that may be affected by a security issue. Additionally, assigning
designated personnel to troubleshoot security systems will help in emergency situations.
New security threats appear on a daily basis. Deciding how to respond to potential threats in advance
allows for quick decision making when they actually happen. Training employees also allows
everyone to feel more relaxed in a security breach or failure. Having gone through what should be
done, employees with training have a better chance of staying calm and collected if Plan A ever
fails.
Integrated approach
A manufacturing plant likely has intrusion systems, perimeter security, access control, and fire alarm
systems. In order to make these manufacturing plant security procedures maximize the quality of the
plant’s security network, there must be an integrated approach. One of the easiest ways to achieve
this is through an integrated security application platform. All of the sensors from the individual
security measures would connect to this larger security platform in a control room. Doing so allows
for quicker correlation among alerts which should lead to faster response times, more efficient
monitoring, less false alarms, and increased awareness.
By building a multi-layered defense, the hope is that Facility-wide damage will be prevented even if
one area is already damaged. Additionally, combining security measures allows for early detection of
flaws that may negatively impact a system.

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Manufacturing plants are full of heavy machinery and thousands of moving parts, increasing the

and how that access can be limited.

compared before choosing one final solution.

applications that connect to the network.

regularly throughout their tenure.

impact and the likeability of a potential event should be considered.

simple processes best in high-pressure or tense situations.

designated personnel to troubleshoot security systems will help in emergency situations.

monitoring, less false alarms, and increased awareness.

flaws that may negatively impact a system.

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