Utilities and energy

Substations, water treatment works, telecoms sites and energy facilities keep the country running, which makes them targets. Intrusion, theft and sabotage threaten UK infrastructure; the answer is rated doors, gates, barriers and shielded rooms, each matched to the criticality of the site.

• SR3 to SR4Forced entry ratings for substations and stores
• PAS 68Tested vehicle barriers for site perimeters
• EMP shieldingFiltered entries for control rooms
• EI 60 and aboveFire ratings for energy plant

The threats utilities and energy sites face

Remote sites are attacked for what is inside them. Copper, cable and plant are stolen from substations and compounds, often by teams with cutting tools who know the layout. Water treatment works and pumping stations sit alone at night with little passing traffic to deter anyone.

Some sites face deliberate harm rather than theft. Intruders target control buildings, switchgear rooms and fuel stores to cause outages. Protest action brings occupation of compounds and rooftops. Vehicle-borne attack is part of the threat picture for the most critical sites.

Control rooms add an invisible threat. Electromagnetic interference, intentional or otherwise, can disrupt the systems that run the network. Where the risk assessment calls for it, control rooms need electromagnetic shielding with filtered power and signal entries, because an unfiltered cable defeats the shield.

The estate is large and the budget is finite, so the discipline is layering. Perimeter, building envelope and inner sanctum each get a rating matched to what they protect, with the highest ratings reserved for the assets whose loss stops the network.

Ventilation is the classic weak point. Substation buildings need airflow, and louvres are where attackers go in. Specify louvred doors with a pressure and security rating, not standard ventilation louvres.

Standards and guidance for utilities and energy

LPS 1175 is the forced entry reference for doors, louvres and hatches on utilities sites. SR3 resists five minutes against crowbars, drills and chisels; SR4 resists ten minutes against sledgehammers, disc cutters and jigsaws. Substations and high-value stores typically specify in this range.

Vehicle impact ratings to PAS 68, IWA 14-1 and ISO 22343-1 cover the barriers, bollards and gates that protect compounds from vehicle attack. Each rating states the vehicle type and mass, impact speed, impact angle and penetration distance, so the barrier can be matched to the access road it guards.

Control rooms that need electromagnetic protection are specified by attenuation in dB over a frequency range, with filtered power and signal entries. Fire performance for plant buildings follows EN 1634-1 testing with E, EW or EI classifications, explained in the fire ratings guide.

Zone by zone: utilities and energy

Work from the outside in. Each layer below buys time for the response to reach a site that may be miles from help.

Utilities and energy specification mistakes to avoid

• Putting standard louvres in a rated wall. A substation wall that resists SR3 with a ventilation louvre that resists nothing is an open invitation. Specify louvred doors with a matching rating, or duct the ventilation so the opening cannot be used for entry.
• Rating the fence and forgetting the gate. Gates are attacked more than fence lines. The gate, its posts, its locking and its automation need the same rating as the barrier beside it.
• Barriers that ignore the approach. A PAS 68 barrier rated at 48 km/h means little on a straight road where a vehicle can reach 80. Match the impact speed in the rating to the real approach, or extend the stand-off.
• Shielding with unfiltered entries. An EMP shielded room with ordinary cable entries is not shielded. Filtered power and signal entries are part of the specification, not an accessory.
• One rating for the whole estate. Rating every hut to SR4 wastes money; rating the control building to SR2 risks the network. Spend the rating where the consequence of loss is highest.

Frequently asked questions