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ICF International has been at the forefront of assisting organizations
in responding to, and preparing for, serious incidents and
other uncertainties for more than 20 years. Our work has become
highly valued for the substantiated conclusions we deliver,
our attention to detail, our ability to devise novel solutions
to complex problems, and the management systems we use to
help companies better manage their assets.
Our Approach
Our vulnerability assessment and audit work is highly regarded
by organizations around the world for its objectivity and
experience-based conclusions. Our work is based on a tradition
of excellence in technical disciplines, broad industry knowledge,
independence and objectivity, and a demonstrated track record
in providing highly focused analyses and reports that provide
a blueprint for both short-term and long-term actions. Our
detailed threat assessments help organizations prioritize
their risks and focus their staff and financial resources
on the most serious concerns.
Multi-Pronged Review
The first step in our assessment process is collecting and
evaluating a broad range of data. This involves on-site inspections,
document reviews, interviews with key personnel, acquiring
relevant organizational and operational data, and focused
testing of selected aspects of the infrastructure to test
our hypotheses. By examining this data, we can formulate conclusions
and make recommendations.
Identify Potential Areas of Concern
Areas of concern we focus on include:
- safety related to seismic issues and structural facility
design
- land usage
- operational support including telecommunications
- data acquisition and control
- surveillance measures
- water use and control
- spill response
- process safety
- human resources
- security
- rights of way
- maintenance and predictive modeling
- electrical power loss
- cooling and condenser water loss
- cable fire hazards
- physical damage
- organizational capabilities
Deliver Objective Findings in a Final Report
The output of our assessments is a straightforward and actionable
report. This report is written to help organizations improve
safety and overall security based on integrating technology,
management, and environmental, health, and safety considerations
evaluated during the assessment.
Generate Options for Improvement
Once the findings are discussed and understood, cost-effective
efforts can be directed toward generating control options
and contingency-planning guidelines, and establishing key
responsibility assignments that are truly responsive to the
facility's prioritized risks.
As we have seen all too clearly, business risk comes in many
forms. So risk mitigation is just as important to a chemical
company or nuclear power authority in assessing the possibility
of an accidental release, as it is to an auto manufacturer
in understanding the possibility of a prolonged supply chain
interruption, or to a financial services company in determining
the potential risk of an information systems disruption. Because
we have performed a wide range of audit and risk assessment
work through the years, we are in a strong position to help
assess a broad range of potential risks across industries.
Learn more about our comprehensive Environmental,
Health, and Safety (EHS) Management services, including
EHS auditing and management systems assessment, and safety
and risk management.
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SELECTED PROJECTS |
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DETAILS OF SELECTED PROJECTS |
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Securing
Pipelines
Following allegations of mismanagement and ineffective
operational controls, the owners of the Trans Alaska
Pipeline asked ICF International (ICF International acquired Arthur D. Little's Global Environment
and Risk Practice Americas in May 2002) to undertake an assessment.
The final report, submitted to Congress, covered
liquid and gas pipeline safety, corrosion, the level
of integrity of civil/structural components of the
pipeline, land use management, custody transfer,
environmental control, inventory management, leak
detection, telecommunication networks, waste use
and pollution control, and spill prevention and
control.
Protecting Your Air
We pioneered an innovative, multifaceted approach
to assessing the potential for indoor air problems
before they occur—and solving them quickly
and efficiently when they do occur. Our methodology
addresses issues that arise from the workforce
and workplace, including critical parameters such
as traditional air quality pollutants; internal
and external sources of chemical, biological,
or radioactive contamination; social and psychological
factors; and building infrastructure issues.
Crisis Management for an International
Petroleum Company
We were asked to assist in developing and implementing
a crisis management program for all of the non-U.S.
operations of an international petroleum company.
The assignment consisted of extensive working
sessions with the firm's crisis project team to
consider crisis-management case studies and key
crisis-management principles, and identify/ prioritize
specific strategic and organizational issues.
We drafted a charter for the crisis-management
team, including guidelines, checklists, and other
tools for use in the event of a crisis. We then
tested the newly developed system with a full-day
field simulation to provide corporate managers
and divisional personnel with hands-on training.
Risk/Security Assessment for
Railroads
We have assessed various types of risks including
hazardous materials shipments, safety of passenger
railcar design, and security risk management.
For a private railroad, we identified high risk
or critical transportation infrastructures (e.g.,
bridges, tunnels) and developed guidance for emergency
response to incidents at these locations. For
the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration, ICF International is reviewing the rail security analyses
and plans completed by the Association of American
Railroads, particularly with regard to hazardous
materials transportation. For Amtrak, we conducted
risk assessments to evaluate the safety of railcar
passenger design, and are reviewing and further
developing Amtrak's security plans.
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Vulnerability Assessment of
Disruptions to Financial Institutions
ICF International conducted risk and vulnerability
assessments for a range of financial institutions,
including stock exchanges and banking organizations.
We determined the consequences and mitigation
steps for a variety of disruptions including failures
of computer systems and water damage to physical
facilities.
Vulnerability Assessment of
Disruptions to Energy Sector
For a Midwestern state, ICF International conducted
a vulnerability assessment to determine the susceptibility
of the state's energy infrastructure to a terrorism
attack that could result in power grid disruptions.
This assessment laid the foundation for an exercise
requiring a unique public/private-sector approach
to education and partnered problem-solving.
Risk Management of Hazardous
Materials Transportation
For several railroads, ICF International conducted
numerous risk analyses to manage the risk of hazardous
materials shipments. For the U.S. Department of
Transportation, we developed a methodology and
strategy for risk management of hazardous materials
transportation by highway, rail, vessel, and aircraft.
After the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001,
the method was customized to enhance the security
of hazardous materials during transport.
Risk Analyses for Chemical
and Manufacturing Facilities
ICF International has conducted hundreds of risk
and process hazard analyses at various chemical
and manufacturing facilities including petroleum
refineries, pipelines, terminals, and manufacturers
of heavy equipment, medical devices, consumer
products, chemicals, and computer centers. Also,
for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
ICF International develop guidance to help facilities
determine the off-site consequences of fires,
explosions, and releases of toxic chemicals to
better determine the risk involved in chemical
operations.
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Like
so many people around the world in the wake of the terrorist
attacks, we have tried to answer the question "How
can we help?" One place where ICF International can
help our clients is an area we have been helping with
for a long time—assessing their operations and
assets to identify vulnerabilities or risks. By using
our standardized assessment and audit approach, we can
help organizations uncover and understand potential
risks to their people, facilities, local communities,
transportation systems, the environment, and other physical
and intangible assets. 
