Safety and Security for Small and Midsize Chemical Facilities

Chemical beakers of different sizes holding liquid of different colors.Securing facilities that manufacture, store, use, or transport potentially dangerous chemicals against growing and evolving threats requires vigilance from both the private and public sector. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as the Chemical Sector-Specific Agency (SSA), actively collaborates with public and private sector partners every day to ensure that chemical facility owners and operators not only receive important information about manmade and natural threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk to the Nation’s critical chemical facilities, but that owners and operators are also aware of tools and resources to assess the security and resilience of their specific facility. Whether you are an upstream or downstream provider, or engage in the transport or manufacturing of basic specialty, agricultural, or pharmaceutical chemicals, DHS is confident you will find these resources informative, easy to understand, and actionable.

These resources are part of the DHS Chemical SSA’s voluntary outreach, which is a no-cost initiative specifically designed to assist chemical facility owners and operators, physical security and information security professionals, chief information officers, risk managers, business continuity planners, information technology directors, and human resource managers in their efforts to enhance the security, preparedness, and resilience of their small and medium-sized chemical facilities.

NOTE: The Chemical SSA’s voluntary outreach activities should not be confused with the Infrastructure Security Compliance Division's Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program. Find out more about other regulatory authorities that govern the Chemical Sector. If you have any questions or to get more information on any of these resources, please contact the Chemical SSA at ChemicalSector@hq.dhs.gov.

Chemical Sector

Cover of Chemical Sector Security Awareness Guide

Chemical Sector Resources

The Chemical Sector-Specific Agency has the responsibility to provide institutional knowledge and specialized expertise in order to collaboratively develop, coordinate, and implement voluntary trainings and resources designed to improve security and resilience within the Chemical Sector.

Chemical Sector Publications

The Chemical Sector-Specific Agency has an assortment of publications to assist chemical facility owners and operators, along with industry partners, increase the security and resilience of the Chemical Sector.

Chemical Sector Partners

Chemical Sector owners and operators have a strong history of partnering together to develop initiatives and best practices to build a culture of safety and security in the chemical industry.

Cybersecurity

DHS Critical Infrastructure Cyber Community (C3) Voluntary Program Small and Midsize Businesses (SMB) Toolkit

To help business leaders get started, DHS has provided a list of top resources specially designed to help SMBs recognize and address their cybersecurity risks.

Stop.Think.Connect.™ Toolkit

The Stop.Think.Connect.™ campaign has an online Toolkit that includes information specific to SMBs.

Cybersecurity for Small Businesses

This 30 minute, self-paced training exercise from the Small Business Administration (SBA) provides an introduction to securing information in small businesses.

Graphic of a lock surrounded by computer circuts, processors, and other internal computer components.FCC Small Biz Cyber Planner 2.0

This Small Biz Cyber Planner helps businesses create custom cybersecurity plans and includes information on cyber insurance, advanced spyware, and how to install protective software.

Internet Essentials for Business 2.0

This guide from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for business owners, managers, and employees focuses on identifying common online risks, best practices for securing networks and information, and what to do when a cyber incident occurs.

White Paper: Every Small Business Should Use the NIST Cybersecurity Framework

This white paper from eManagement can help SMBs understand and use the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework. It provides cybersecurity tips for SMBs aligned to the Framework’s core functions: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover.

Preparedness

FEMA Small Business Toolkit

To assist you, FEMA has collected some leading resources so you can quickly find something here for every small business:

Protecting Your Home or Small Business From Disaster

This 10-hour course will provide a foundation that will enable participants to describe different disasters, describe the hazards they pose to their business, and explain protective measures to reduce or eliminate long-term risks.

Ready.gov – Business

Business can do much to prepare for the impact of the many hazards that they face today by developing Emergency Response Plans. Plans should include evacuation, sheltering in place, and lockdown, as well as plans for other types of threats identified during the risk assessment.

Disaster Planning Checklists

SBA's "Prepare My Business" site has 17 different checklists to easily walk you through the planning process for all types of emergencies.

Disaster Planning Webinars

Each month, the SBA hosts free "Prepare My Business" educational webinars.  Learn more about how to plan your business continuity and disaster recovery strategy through live interactive courses and archived webinars.

Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) Small Business Resources

OSHA provides numerous resources and information designed specifically for small business employers, including health and safety standards.

Last Published Date: May 16, 2016

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