CERTIFIED by the US Department of Defense

Port Security Barriers

Port Security Barriers (PSB) Become More Common for High Value/Emotionally Important Targets such as Cruise Ships, Large-Port Channels, Pier Side Security Zones and an Evolving List of Targets to be Protected.

Commercial shipping in our ports has long been a vulnerable asset to terrorist threats since the USS Cole incident demonstrated how an unsophisticated organization can cause significant damage and loss of life to a ship. The emotional and political impact of such an attack in our home USA waters would be significant. HALO’s proven Cruise Ship Security Barrier (CSSB) Systems are the world’s only barriers independently tested in open ocean and near shore in a true live operational test and evaluation scenario. Our barriers have been CERTIFIED by the US Department of Defense and also by the Center for Ocean Engineering at the University of New Hampshire.

Port high value assets that should be considered for Port Security Barrier Systems (PSB) include:

  • Cruise ship terminals and surrounding areas of restricted maneuverability
  • Hazardous materials loading and unloading docks
  • Restricted channels in the largest ports
  • Pipelines
  • Nuclear ship or material handling docks
  • Locks, dams, and canals
  • High consequences cargo terminals

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Since the Sept 11, 2001 attacks, there has been little improvement in hardened waterside Port Security Barriers for assets other than important US Navy ships and submarines. There are two primary reasons for this; the high cost of barrier systems and the difficulty providing routine access for commercial and cruise ships which don’t stay in port as long as US Navy ships.

HALO is working to reduce the cost of Port Security Barrier Systems through our life cycle cost engineering initiatives, choosing better low-cost materials and the cost savings of stock products. Additionally, our important work on lower total life cycle costs through proper material selection and maintenance can significantly lower the investment needed to protect important assets.

Our extensive work on access control to make it easy to get into and out of a Port Security Barrier protected area is paying off. HALO’s GUARDIAN® Automatic Retractable Barrier Systems collapse along their length to provide quick and easy access. Keeping operators out of the gate opening operation makes it safe and fast. With HALO systems, easy access for ships should not be a reason for not installing a Port Security Barrier System.