Zerstörungspotenziale

Zerstörungspotenziale describes the potential for destruction or severe damage that could affect a system, organization, infrastructure or environment as a result of adverse events. The term is used in safety engineering, risk assessment and disaster management to identify which assets or functions are most at risk of being destroyed or rendered inoperable, and to estimate the possible consequences of different threat scenarios. It complements the concept of hazard potential by focusing on the outcomes that would constitute destruction rather than mere non-availability.

In practice, Zerstörungspotenziale are identified by analyzing assets, critical functions, failure modes, and external threats. Teams assess the possible destruction scenarios, their likelihood, and the scale of impact, often using qualitative scales or quantitative models such as risk matrices, fault tree analysis or event tree analysis. The results help prioritize protective measures, continuity plans and resource allocation.

Examples include a destroying event in a power grid that could cause cascading outages and long-term blackout; a chemical plant release leading to large-area contamination; a cyber attack that destroys or irreparably disrupts data and control systems; or a flood that destroys critical infrastructure in a metropolitan area.

The term is common in German risk management, safety and security disciplines and is used alongside related concepts such as Schadenspotenzial and Gefährdungspotenzial. It is not a universal standard metric, but a descriptive, context-dependent tool to support risk-informed decision making.