22nd February 2012, 1st Workshop of Cyprus Safety Platform, "Critical infrastructure Protection"

The launch of the Cyprus Safety Platform took place on Wednesday 22^nd February 2012 in the Cultural Center of European University Cyprus in Egkomi, Nicosia.  10 Government Departments, the Cyprus Chamber of Engineers, the Cyprus Chamber of SME Owners, the Industrialist Federation, the Trade Unions, the Cyprus Health and Safety Association as well as professionals and business owners took part in the launch and the open discussion that followed. 

The Director of the Department of Labour Inspection Mr Leandros Nicolaides, the Commissioner of the Cyprus Civil Defense Ms Maria Papa as well as representatives of the associations and chambers supporting the Platform addressed the event. 

On Behalf of the Board of the Platform, Dr George Boustras, Director of  the Centre for Risk, Safety and the Environment (CERISE) explained the aims of the Platform.  These can be summarized as:

• Promotion of research on safety
• Initiation of a two-way communication between social and professional bodies with academics to create a research agenda that responds to real problems
• Transfer of existing knowledge and knowledge from future research projects from academia to social and professional bodies
• Promotion of a safety culture in the society. 

The Cyprus Safety Platform during its life will serve as a "bridge" between industry, academic and research institutes and the state with the purpose of:

(a)          Providing a forum for the industry and society to reveal and discuss their safety problems and concerns. 

(b)          Creating a research agenda that focuses on the safety problems facing industry and society

(c)           Transferring knowledge and technology to society, industry and government, and

(d)          Assisting government bodies to take necessary measures to implement the findings and recommendations. 

Among the aims of the Cyprus Safety Platform will be to create the agenda for safety in Cyprus for the years to come.  For that reason 6 thematic groups – depicting the main problems currently – were initiated:

·         Fire Safety Engineering

·         H&S in the Construction Industry

·         H&S in the workplace

·         Noise Pollution

·         Critical Infrastructure Protection

·         Chemical and Environmental Risks

In addition to those 3 horizontal issues were defined:

·         Safety Culture

·         Risk Assessment

·         Safety Communication

The Cyprus Safety Platform aims to produce this policy document within a year and submit it to State and other organizations.

Another major aim of the Platform is to organize Workshops in order to bring together safety academics and practitioners as well as disseminate crucial knowledge to the public. The 1^st One Day Workshop focused on Critical Infrastructure Protection.  The program of the Workshop:

1. Keynote Speech “Critical Infrastructure Protection Overview” – Prof George Hadjisophocleous, Carleton University Canada
2. Critical Infrastructure Protection – European Commission Initiatives on the identification and designation of European critical infrastructures and the assessment of the need to improve their protection (Directive 114/2008) - Leventakis Georgios  MSc. – MBA (Hons.), Senior Advisor, Center for Security Studies, Ministry of Citizen Protection
3. Prevention and Response to major security incidents in European Critical Infrastructures – Dr Athanasios Sfetsos, Environmental Research Laboratory (EREL), Institute of Nuclear Technology & Radiation Protection, NCSR Demokritos, Greece & Leventakis Georgios  MSc. – MBA (Hons.), Senior Advisor, Center for Security Studies, Ministry of Citizen Protection
4. Analysis, Modeling and Optimization of Transportation Network Flows after a Major Emergency Incident – Dr Vangelis Katsaros, SOL, University of Thessaly, Greece & Dr G Boustras, CERISE, European University Cyprus
5. Resistance to Fire-Induced Progressive Collapse in Critical Building Types: A New Design Approach - C. J. Walsh, Chair, CIB W14 Research WG IV: 'Structural Reliability & Fire-Induced Progressive Collapse'
6. Critical Infrastructure Protection Policy and Practice in Cyprus – Mr Nikolas Paris, Cyprus Civil Defense
7. Remote Sensing & GIS as a Tool for Managing Infrastructures: Emergency, Protection and Safety Applications  – Dr D.G. Hadjimitsis and Dr K Themistocleous, Cyprus University of Technology
8. RHM – Registry of Hazardous Materials – Mr Angelos Kountouris, GM Cytacom Ltd
9. Safety Culture in Critical Infrastructure – Dr Frank Guldenmund, TU Delft, The Netherlands
10. Open Discussion

Poster Session

• “Critical Infrastructure Security: A Step Beyond”, G. Bogdos, N. Zotos, M. Kardaris, C. Stergiopoulos, Future Intelligence Ltd, Greece
• “Critical Infrastructure Protection in Slovakia”, Dvořák Z, Lusková M, University of Zilina, Slovak Republic
• “Integrated use of satellite remote sensing and hydraulic modeling for flood risk assessment at a catchment scale in Cyprus”, D.D. Alexakis, D.G. Hadjimitsis, A. Agapiou, K. Themistokleous,  Cyprus University of Technology, S. Michaelides, S. Pashiardis, F. Tymvios, Metereological Service of Cyprus, A. Retalis, National Observatory of Athens
• “Air pollution monitoring from space in Cyprus”, A. Nisantzi, D. G. Hadjimitsis, A. Agapiou, K. Themistocleous , M. Panayiotou, Cyprus University of Technology,  S. Michaelides, F. Tymvios, D. Charalambous, Cyprus Meteorological Service , A. Retalis, , D. Paronis, National Observatory of Athens, S. Perdikou, Frederick Research Center, Nicosia, Cyprus
• “Monitoring Urban Expansion in the vicinity of archaeological sites of Cyprus”, A. Agapiou, D.G. Hadjimitsis, D.D. Alexakis, K. Themistokleous,  Cyprus University of Technology