With expansion plans being announced by many of the UK’s city airports, this will inevitably lead to higher passenger throughput and local opportunities for the wider community both in terms of jobs and economic boost.  There are many things to plan for and consider when proposals are put forward.

Security takes one of the top spots for consideration.  It’s a large consideration, what does airport security encompass? What is the definition of Airport Security? We googled it and in top spot was of course the Wikepedia definition:
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“Airport security refers to the techniques and methods used in an attempt to protect passengers, staff, aircraft, and airport property from accidental/malicious harm, crime, and other threats. Aviation security is a combination of human and material resources to safeguard civil aviation against unlawful interference.”

This definition is a vital consideration to implement and maintain for all airports large, small & expanding.

An area of security that Avon Barrier are involved with is a threat that we have seen increasingly in the UK and is the threat of terrorism or hostile intent. Physically protecting vehicle access points and perimeter protection from vehicles with hostile intent, that can be in the form of a terrorist act or an act with intent to cause malicious or accidental damage by a vehicle.  Airports and air travel is a high profile target that attracts acts of terrorism and in our experience UK airports are some of the best physically protected airports in the world.

As part of the expansion and growth plans of the UK’s city airports, planning physical security plays a major part. Physical security reaches beyond the passenger terminal buildings, it extends to the very perimeter of the airport infrastructure and the lines can become blurred when the airport is situated within a densely populated area.  It should therefore strive to holistically integrate with the physical security measures of connecting transport hubs, service providers & other stake holders.

The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) work with local police forces that have dedicated trained Counter Terror Security Advisors (CTSAs). CTSAs advise local and national businesses on measures to consider when planning physical security to counter a terrorist attack and protect physical assets, people & critical infrastructure.

Avon Barrier are a UK company that have worked with the CPNI and independent testing agencies over many years and have developed a range of physically tested security products designed to protect buildings, access points and perimeters.  These take the form of rising arm barriers, sliding /swing gates, fixed and automated bollards and road blockers.

Avon Barrier will be speaking at our Airports Cities Development Conference on the 11th of June! Come and join us >

A vehicle used as an improvised explosive device was most memorably seen in 2007 at Glasgow Airport, a Jeep Cherokee packed with explosive materials was driven into the front of the terminal building and set on fire.  This incident enforced the need for airports and other public transport hubs to reconsider their security operational requirements. Following this incident, vehicle when used as an improvised explosive device (VBIED) was very much considered a security threat.

More recently the UK & Europe have seen a different approach by the terrorist or attacker, where the vehicle itself is used as a weapon (VAW).  The perpetrator has used a variety of vehicles, from large articulated lorries (Berlin) to a standard passenger car (Westminster Bridge).  These attacks appear to have the intention to cause maximum casualties but also enable the driver to continue their destructive journey for longer periods of time and cause unexpected death, fear and panic into the normal day to day activities of the general public.

Security advice from the CPNI is Deter, Detect, Delay.  This is very relevant and the ethos behind preventing and minimising the effects of an attack by a vehicle.

Deter the attack – deterrence can begin at the furthest point away from the critical assets. Deterrence can be physiological measures, such as CCTV, Perimeter Fencing, signage, physical presence of security personnel, this all forms part of the deterrence.  This should be considered and evident at the beginning of the journey to the airport in connecting transport hubs and not only form part of the deterrence but also some measure of reassurance for the traveller. Detering all but essential vehicle activity near to the airport’s most critical assets, is deemed an essential part of physical airport security practice.  By keeping all but essential vehicle activity at the outer areas means that any hostile intent is deflected from the busiest parts of the airport, minimising risk and could even deter the attacker from their planned hostile intent.

Detect the attack – training of staff and vigilance of security personnel is vital to detecting a potential threat. Observing behaviour, recognising and questioning changes in practise or routine and always airing on the side of caution, play a key role in the detection of hostile intent.  This is particularly vital in areas where authorised vehicles are allowed. When the vehicle is recognised but the driver is not (a trojan driver) or the driver of an authorised vehicle is under duress or been has been coerced into hostile activity? Trained personnel and security processes in place will reduce the risk of an attacker penetrating to critical areas.

Delay – any delay to an incident will provide life saving minutes to alert and enable response to an incident.  This could be as simple as an alarm or verbally questioning someone acting suspiciously. With vehicles, physical barriers to airside, landside service areas, access points provide a means of holding and delaying vehicles whilst checking authority and the identity of driver and vehicle, prior to access being approved. Ensuring that these barriers can withstand a vehicle driven at speed with the intent to gain access by force is a key consideration and this is can be achieved by installing systems that are designed and proven to be able to stop a vehicle and not penetrate the controlled area.

Avon Barrier will be speaking at our Airports Cities Development Conference on the 11th of June! Come and join us >

Guidance and formalised testing of Vehicle Security Barriers has been extensive and continues to evolve and consider changes in recent behaviour.  The CPNI, independent testing agencies and equipment manufacturers including Avon Barrier have assisted in the development of internationally recognised standards for impact test specifications of vehicle security barrier systems. BSI PAS 68 and IWA14-1 are the two standards adopted in the UK. These standards clarify the performance requirement, vehicle impact test method and performance rating, thus enabling a comparative means for assessing the solution requirement.  This testing takes the form of physically driving a vehicle into the barrier system, the barrier system should successfully stop the vehicle and where possible minimise the penetration of the vehicle beyond the barrier system.  This physical test is to simulate a vehicle driven with hostile intent at speed to gain access beyond the vehicle barrier system.

Avon Barrier have been at the forefront of the development of Vehicle Security Barriers and have a wealth of experience globally of providing a range of solutions in a variety of sectors including some of the UK’s major international airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick, Bristol, Manchester, Stansted, & Glasgow Prestwick we would recommend that any system that is adopted to prevent & protect against this attack method, should have undergone this formal independent physical testing method and have a verified outcome testing classification provided.

We would also recommend that when an investment is made into this type of security protection that a security consultant with experience in advising, planning & installing Hostile Vehicle Mitigation solutions is consulted along with local or airport sector Counter Terror Security Advisors.

In conclusion, whilst all this physical protection can be adopted, an HVM system is a critical, continually active protection system and ensuring that it is ready at all times to be engaged involves a longer term investment in a maintenance program ideally carried out by the manufacturer or on-site technicians that have been trained by the manufacturer.

Jo Smallwood

Marketing Manager for Avon Barrier

Avon Barrier will be speaking at our Airports Cities Development Conference on the 11th of June! Come and join us >
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