Security Labels
When a VIP visits allocation, police services
and other law enforcement authorities need to
do a lot of preparation work to secure the area
from threats before the arrival. Buildings need
to be searched, vehicles stopped, identities checked
and the area secured.
One of the biggest concerns for the site owner
is the mechanisms used by the police to area searched
areas as "secure", without permanently
marking or damaging the surface. Expensive doors,
glass panels, hardwood filing cabinets and storage
areas are particularly sensitive to damage from
conventional seals used by the search team.
In response to this need, tamper
evident seals have evolved considerably in
recent years, as search teams get increasingly
aware of their responsibilities to the sites that
they are securing.
Another growing requirement is the requirement
for unique customisation such as numbering or
barcoding - essential for tracking the threat
of potential counterfeit seals used to secure
otherwise secure areas.
One common solution to these products is the
growing use of self adhesive tamper evident seals
and labels, which offer unique customisation of
size, colour, print and tamper evident technology
idea for special VIP visits.
When security seal users are selecting a temporary
seal solution be aware of the following common
problems:
1) Does the supplier know what they are talking
about? Are they a specialist in tamper evidence
or are they flogging you a stock solution at an
inflated price because they see you as naive?
2) Ask the manufacturer how they would get around
their own technology - be wary of people who say
that everything they sell is secure (send it to
a specialist such as Mercian Labels Ltd and they'll
show you it isn't!)
3) Are the minimum run lengths small enough for
your needs? Many users don't need millions of
security seals, just enough for their application,
and this can be an issue for small volume users.
4) are there lots of different technologies available
to suit the exact end user application? Some suppliers
offer a wide range of techniques to provide an
exact bespoke solution.
Remember, if its an off the shelf solution, anyone
else can buy it, its almost certainly NOT secure
and there is no point taking a half baked approach
to a problem where determined and clever criminal
minds have been before you for a long time. Specialist
suppliers of such technologies such as Mercian
Labels offer short run tamper evident labels
specifically for sealing surfaces without leaving
a residue. Technologies include thermochromic
inks, high temperature adhesives, security cuts,
custom void messaging and DNA taggants for very
specialised applications are also sometimes used.
Further reading:
www.securitylabels.com
- tamper evident label specialists (international)
www.selfadhesivelabels.com
- Mercian Labels (UK)
www.bsia.co.uk - the British Security Industries
Association
Dr Adrian Steele PhD is a leading researcher
into label technologies at Mercian Labels Ltd
(UK) - www.securitylabels.com
and www.SelfAdhesiveLabels.com
Note: This article is provided for information
purposes only and the accuracy of the information
is not guaranteed. This article is Copyright of
Mercian Labels Ltd who are a label
printer.
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