Development of an effectiveness evaluation model of the security management function of radiological facilities

Abstract

The Physical Protection System is based on the five basic security functions (deterrence, detection, delay, response, and security management), all of which are required to protect a radiological facility against malicious acts. Evaluating the performance of PPS, including the security procedures and their implementation, is a way to engage with staff, raise their awareness on the importance of security. This article presents a new effectiveness evaluation model of the PPS administrative structure through qualitative analysis, which is appropriate for the security management evaluation of low-consequence radiological facilities, to protect them against malicious acts. This model was developed in five stages to obtain a structured process for conducting the PPS administrative structure evaluation, based on the security management function, consisting of 11 topics and 89 qualitative questions to determine the Relative Robustness Index of this function. Model topics were classified with distinct relative weights based on their relevance to the PPS. For testing and validation of the model, 6 industrial radiological facilities classified in different security levels were selected. The results showed that the self-assessment model proposed in this article is viable, considering its simplicity, promptness, and applicability in identifying and analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the PPS security management function. The new model made possible the effectiveness evaluation of the PPS globally and punctually, making it possible to identify which topics of security management are above, or below, the minimum required for the current security level.