To minimize the impact of disasters, terrorist attacks and other major incidents, ISO has published a standard for emergency management and incident response. ISO 22320:2011, Societal security – Emergency management – Requirements for incident response, will help save lives, mitigate harm and damage and ensure continuity of basic services such as health, rescue services, water and food supplies, and electricity and fuel delivery.

 Pirate attacks off the Somali coast are estimated to have cost the global shipping industry about USD 5.6 billion in 2011 alone. Ransoms for hostages and ships run into the millions of dollars, in what has become a substantial and often cruel business.

 The sinking of the Titanic in 1912 was such a monumental tragedy that it led the whole maritime community into new ways of thinking : prescriptive, deterministic, reactive regulations were created to fill the gaps which had only become obvious in the wake of accidents.

Effective responses to a frequently wide range of disruption-related risks require a concerted approach to the management of emergency preparedness.