BSI ID G 0.6

An authority or company may suffer damage if a serious accident occurs in the surrounding area, such as a fire, explosion, release of toxic substances or escape of dangerous radiation. The danger arises not only from the event itself, but also from the activities that often result from it, such as closures or rescue measures. An institution's properties may be exposed to various hazards from the surrounding area, including traffic (road, rail, air, water), neighbouring businesses or residential areas.

Preventive or rescue measures may directly affect the properties. Such measures may also prevent employees from reaching their workplaces or require personnel to be evacuated. However, the complexity of building services and IT facilities can also lead to indirect problems.

Example:

• A fire in a chemical plant in the immediate vicinity of a data centre (approx. 1000 m as the crow flies) caused a huge cloud of smoke. The data centre had an air conditioning and ventilation system that did not monitor the outside air. Only thanks to the vigilance of an employee (the accident happened during working hours) who monitored the development and spread of the smoke was it possible to manually shut off the external air supply in time.