ChemLock: Conducting a Chemical Security Self-Assessment

Whether a small business or an international company, everyone who interacts with dangerous chemicals has a role to play in understanding the risk and taking collective action to prevent chemicals from being weaponized by terrorists. The ChemLock program provides recommendations on how to systematically review and assess a facility security plan. For more information on developing a security plan, see the ChemLock Security Plan webpage.

Assessing a Security Plan

Periodically reviewing and assessing the security measures in a facility’s security plan is a critical component in maintaining an effective security plan. Assessments should:

• Ensure the plan meets its goals and is effective.
• Confirm that all the information is up to date.
• Identify security gaps and corresponding mitigation measures.
• Review the implementation of additional planned measures.
• Incorporate any changes as necessary to existing security measures.
• Identify and remove obsolete measures that are no longer necessary.
• Review relevant policies, plans, and procedures, such as roles and responsibilities, password procedures, reporting procedures for suspicious activity and security incidents, and response measures to an incident or hazard.

CISA encourages facilities to review their security plan on an annual basis as personnel, processes, policies, and procedures can change over time.

Self-Assessment Checklist

Below is a self-assessment checklist that a facility can use by itself or in conjunction with a security plan template described in ChemLock: Secure Your Chemicals. Using five security goals, the checklist helps facility personnel identify gaps in security measures so that any vulnerabilities can be addressed. If a security gap is found, the facility can identify steps and develop timelines to resolve those identified gaps.