Vulnerability definitions

The Loss Prevention Standard (LSP 2082 : Issue 1.0), published by BRE Global in 2017, defines vulnerability as: ‘A weakness to a security threat which reduces the security of a facility.’

A Guide To Climate Change Impacts, On Scotland’s Historic Environment, published by Historic Environment Scotland in October 2019, defines vulnerability / sensitivity as: ‘The features of an asset that we can influence or control in order to make it more or less susceptible to a particular hazard.’

Water safety in buildings, published by the World Health Organization in 2011, states: ‘Vulnerable groups or populations are people who might be vulnerable to the effects of exposure because of their development stage (e.g. children) or because of pre-existing health conditions (e.g. asthmatics and air pollution).’

Anticipate, react, recover; Resilient infrastructure systems, published by the National Infrastructure Commission in May 2020, states: ‘In the context of infrastructure systems, a vulnerability is a characteristic of the system or weakness in the system that has the potential to lead to partial or full failure of the system.’

The glossary of statistical terms, published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), states: ‘Vulnerability is a measure of the extent to which a community, structure, service or geographical area is likely to be damaged or disrupted, on account of its nature or location, by the impact of a particular disaster hazard.’

Glossary: Resilience, published by the Department for International Development in 2016, defines vulnerability as: ‘The likelihood that assets will be damaged or destroyed when exposed to a hazard event.’

Competence frameworks for the built environment – Core criteria for sustainability competence - Code of practice , Version 3, published by the Edge for the Construction Industry Council in February 2025, defines vulnerability as: “The propensity or predisposition to be adversely affected. Vulnerability encompasses a variety of concepts and elements including sensitivity or susceptibility to harm and lack of capacity to cope and adapt.”

See also:

• Resilience.
• Vulnerable consumer.
• Vulnerable customer.
• Vulnerability index.
• Vulnerable road user.
• Vulnerable species.
• Security vulnerability.
• Sensitivity analysis.
• Sensitive area.
• Sensitive ecological habitat.
• Sensitive Information.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• BRE articles on Designing Buildings Wiki.
• BRE National Security Survey.
• BREEAM Safety and security.
• Building Research Establishment.
• Convergent threat.
• Design basis threat.
• Facility Security Risk Management Plan.
• Facility security manager.
• Loss Prevention Certification Board.
• Project security manager.
• Resilience.
• Risk.
• SABRE.
• Security.
• Sensitive area.
• Sensitive ecological habitat.
• Sensitive Information.
• Sensitivity analysis.
• Threat.
• Vulnerable customer.

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