Rajesh Kumar Banka, Director, Safcon Seals Pvt Ltd, shares guidelines for securing and protecting your goods in transit to prevent theft and adulteration.

The alarming increase in illegal, criminal and dishonest activities throughout the world means that more stringent and positive action is needed to protect the environment in which we live. This has led to the introduction of many ‘high-tech’ products and systems, invariably expensive and often the target for sophisticated interference. Fortunately, there are some practical forms of security, which are very simple, easy-to-use and offer an extremely cost-effective form of protection. Safety requirements for transport and warehousing of goods have been continuously increasing over the last few years. Security Seals are the first step towards more safety.

Security seals play a vital role in national and international safeguards. Security seals, also known as tamper-indicating devices, are meant to leave unambiguous, non-erasable evidence of unauthorised access. The experience and technical knowledge at Safcon has led to the development of a unique new range of most reliable security seals. These seals offer a precise solution to many security and protection related problems by combining the benefits of special materials and security features.

The Safcon new range of security seals is simple-to-use, low-cost and offers appropriate seals for every application. For example, all plastic Saflok Container seal has been developed as a very low-cost substitute to little expensive metal Bolt Container Seal. No tool is needed for removal. In many cases when bolt container seals are used on vehicle doors, it becomes difficult to remove it on certain sites in absence of proper bolt cutter. The Saflok Container Barrier Seal is specifically designed for trucks, containers, vehicle doors, involved in transportation of raw materials and finished goods. Its carefully researched design includes a serial number on each of the two parts of the seal, which allows for the immediate identification of tampering. Once broken, the seal cannot be glued together or returned to the container.

Another new option from Safcon is Cable Seal, an inexpensive, self-locking, weather resistant, high-security seal that requires no tools for installation. It is supplied with a break off screw to secure the cable seal. Standard seals are engraved with codes and sequential numbers to customer’s own requirements. Cable Seals are available in, red, green, black, blue, silver and gold, with variable lengths of cable if required. Cable Seal is ideal for protecting food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, petroleum, and wastes in transit, in plant and tank-truck valves. Cable Seals are flexible and can be used anywhere/everywhere. The most rugged and barrier metal bolt container seals are impossible to remove without the aid of special 24” bolt cutter.

Other low-cost tamper evident locking devices include a range of plastic seals – Ball-lok. Mini-tite, Padlock, Pull tight, Hasp-lok, Fixed length, Anchor plastic security seals, Wire Seals which are most reliable and very cost-effective for versatile applications including bulk liquid tankers.

Sealing Systems and Procedures The following instructions will benefit a seal user in developing the correct systems and procedures in order to stop pilferage and theft.

Ordering and storage

All seal orders should originate from the head office or a pre-determined ordering location.

The seal manufacturers should be instructed to ship the seals to a specific person’s attention of either the head office or other designated location.

In addition to consecutive numbering, the company name or initials should be embossed onto each seal to make it absolutely unique.

Each terminal or transfer facility should be coded by number and/or color.

Outbound recording Maintain one logbook for outbound seal recording and a separate log book for inbound seal recording.

If the driver is not part of the shippers’ organisation, the goods inventory count and the seal application should be made in the presence of the shippers’ representative. The driver will note on the bill of loading or on the shipping order the seal number and colour applied of the shippers’ dock.

Application

In order to maintain control over your sealing system, all seals must be properly applied and checked by a security person.

Select a proper seal based on destination, value and susceptibility to theft. A high security seal may be required.

The following procedures for application should be used: Seal the side as well as the rear doors; run the seal strap through the hasp; in order to ensure a positive seal, pull the seal strap and twist the section of the seal that was inserted into the locking mechanism.

Broken seals

Should it be necessary to break a seal before its arrival of the final destination, the following information should be recorded, especially at highway weigh stations: The name of the person breaking the seal; the reason for breaking the seal; the time and date the seal was broken; the serial number of the broken seal; the serial number of the replacement seal; the names of witnesses to the breaking of the seal.

The broken seal report must be filled with the terminal manager and/or the security officer of the outbound terminal, regardless of how far the driver is from the point of origin.

Seal removal and inbound recording

In order to ensure the integrity of a seal before its removal, a physical check must be made. Only authorised security personnel should remove seals.

Enter in the in-bound seal log, the name, serial number and all coding information appearing on the seal. Be sure to verify that it is the original seal from the manifests.

Compare the name, serial number and all coding information appearing on the seal with the corresponding shipping papers.

Prior to removing the seal, ensure that it has not been shortened or falsely sealed. Check for strange marks and tampering. Any discrepancy should be reported to the person(s) assigned to accept such statements as well as recorded in the in-bound seal log.

Supplementary procedures

Ensure that the fastening devices and hinges securing the door and the locking handles cannot be removed without violating the seal.

Use color-coded seals to differentiate commodities, terminals, warehouses, plants, in-bound or out-bound shipments, and time periods. Periodically change the seal colors to prevent usage of unauthorised old seals.

Companies shipping a trailer load of merchandise within a local area making 2 to 7 stops may secure the trailer with a different colored seal after each stop.

High security seal locks

Conventional metal seals or plastic seals are not always effective.

The use of high security cable seal locks/heavy metal bolt container seal are recommended for the following areas: High security shipments; air, water and ground transportation and intermodal shipments; international shipments; shipping or storing in high crime areas or parked vehicles.

Security seals should be viewed as only one part of an overall security or verification program. In conclusion, it is advisable in the interest of the shippers and the transporters that a system should be immediately adopted for use of appropriate type and variety of the tamper evident and barrier security seals in warehouses and transportation of any cargo irrespective of value in all road transport, courier, train, ship, airfreight, truck, trailer, tractor, wagon cargos to combat with and to substantially reduce cargo theft, pilferage and adulteration. In choosing a seal, it is important to bear in mind that unit cost is not always the most decisive economic factor associated with using a seal, nor is cost necessarily well correlated with the level of security a seal can provide. It is important to choose the right seal with the reliable seal manufacturers.