Proximity Risks: What’s Next Door?
You work very hard to identify and mitigate risks on your own premises, yet when disaster strikes, you’re crippled, maybe down for the count. Look out your office window. Around or near your building, there stand structures that might be at risk for fires, floods, and gas leaks. Their events extend to you: a traffic shutdown can stop your traffic; proximity to a crime scene can shut you down. Proximity risks are a big deal and need to be addressed.
Beyond Your Perimeter

Your building may be safe and well- constructed in itself, but it remains vulnerable to the nearby structures and landscape features. Your
organization’s Risk Register needs to include proximity risks and your Risk Mitigation Plan needs to address them. Consider your building’s proximity to:
Neighbouring Buildings may have:
- Inadequate fire controls
- Inattention to the requirements of the Fire Code
- Older plumbing and electrical circuitry
- Substandard maintenance
- Older structures unable to withstand earthquake loading
- Inadequate security procedures
- Inadequate sanitation
- Inadequate pest control
- Criminal activities, e.g. narcotics distribution
Roadways may experience:
- Closures following a motor vehicle accident, or a local emergency such as a fire or gas leak
- Reduced flow owing to debris, precipitation and abandoned vehicles in roadways after a storm, fire, or earthquake
Retail Shopping Areas
Proximity to shopping areas is often related to incidents of robbery, arson and vandalism.
Gas Stations and Fuel Tanks
Fuel spills, fires, and explosions can occur on any site that contains fuel tanks. In many cases the cause of these problems is human error.
Parking Lots
Parking lots are often scenes of muggings, vandalism, and assault.
Air Traffic
Buildings located near airports, and especially any location in the flight path of aircraft, could be at risk for aircraft accidents. Fortunately, such accidents are rare.
Bodies of Water
Rivers and lakes are the bodies of water commonly associated with
flooding. Note, however, the risk from clogged street drains and sewer backups.
Crime Hotspots
The most common criminal risks might be vehicle theft and break-ins, mugging and assault, vandalism, shoplifting, and distribution of illicit drugs and stolen goods.
Action Plan
Find your site on Google Maps and see what kinds of risks surround you. Better yet, walk around and note those risks.
Address those risks in your Risk Register and Mitigation Plan. They’re not going away. If you’d like to comment on this article or explore these ideas further, contact me at guy.
This article was published in the
October 2020
edition of The TMC Advisor
- ISSN 2369-663X Volume:7 Issue:7
©2020 TMC Consulting