17: External Sabotage and Other Criminal Activity
Definition/Typical Issues
Did malicious acts by personnel external to the organization cause or contribute to the causal factor?
Did criminal activity by external personnel contribute to the causal factor?
Typical issues that are coded under this node include:
- Explosions resulting from external sabotage and other criminal activity
- Fires resulting from external sabotage and other criminal activity
- Tampering with product
- Tampering with raw materials
Note 1: It may not be possible to further define intermediate causes or root causes associated with this problem category due to limited availability of relevant data.
Note 2: Sabotage and criminal activities involving internal personnel are coded under the Personnel Performance Issue; Individual Issue; Sabotage or Criminal Activity* (#223) node.
Note 3: There is no path beyond this node (it is a dead end) because external sabotage and other criminal activity cannot be controlled by the organization through better organizational systems. However, any failures of the organization to address mitigation of these issues through design and management systems should be addressed through other portions of the Root Cause Map™.
Examples
Example 1
- A bomb threat was received by personnel in the control room. Fortunately, it turned out to be a hoax.
Example 2
- Contaminants were intentionally added to raw materials by an individual at a supplier organization in order to make the final product unusable.
Example 3
- The spouse of a worker came to work and shot the worker.
Typical Recommendations
- Ensure that security plans and equipment are adequate.
- Work with local law enforcement to develop security plans.
- Perform a security vulnerability analysis. Implement changes based on the results.
Cross-References
| Version 10 Element(s) | |
|---|---|
| Node ID | Node Name |
| 12 | Sabotage/Horseplay |
| Maritime Element(s) | |
|---|---|
| Node ID | Node Name |
| 16 | Sabotage/Terrorism/War |
| 17 | Suicide/Homicide |