Today's visit was to Honeywell's chemical plant in Geismer, Louisiana. You've heard about the integration of safety and control. How about integrating security with control? Honeywell has done this. The Geismer plant put the first integrated system in. The essence of the system lies in integrating the security system (plant access, intrusion detection, knowing location of people on site, and the like) with relevant parts of the control system. For example, if an unauthorized person tries to gain access to a control room, the event plus a digital video of the event can be seen by the operator as well as by the security office.
Reacting to increased security concerns after 9/11, plant management took steps to assue the security of the site. Bill Lessig, plant manager, acknowledged that a major challenge to implementation was the culture change for all the people. In designating levels of clearance for various areas of the plant, some emplyees or contractors found themselves unable to hang out in some areas they might have earlier. It took an adjustment period. Just shows that implementing automation is only partly a technical problem. People must be addressed, too.
The demo of the system was impressive. Appears that Lessig and his team have done well.
7:05:48 AM 
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