What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Security Metal Detectors?

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I am sure that there is no person that never passed through a walk through metal detector be it on an airport, mall, shopping center, cinema or similar. Detectors are used for safety precautions, and walking into a safe area, after you passed through a metal detector, can be really overwhelming. Saying this in a few simple words – metal detectors make people feel safe!

The feeling of safety can be created while in an airport, college, office building, or any other area where these detectors are being used. People that are using them can control who enters a specific area and what he/she brings inside it.

There are different types and models of security detectors, but the most commonly used are the hand held models and walk through models. With the help of a hand held detector, security personnel can physically detect if some person carries a metallic object. From the other side, walk through metal detectors are much quicker, and they alert the security personnel of dangerous objects such as knives or weapons.

How metal detectors work is quite simple – they use the principles of electromagnetic induction to detect metallic objects. The detection of a dangerous object is notified with a simple beep alarm sound.

In case you need a metal detector, and still don’t know which to choose, here are some advantages of the both mentioned models. First of all, the hand held detectors are more affordable and are able to identify the same way as walk though detectors the presence of metallic objects that are considered to be potentially dangerous. From the other side, walk though models are more convenient and more efficient. Overall, if you cannot make up your mind, it is advised that you opt for both models as this way you will surely maximize the safety in the area that requires safety measures.

Detectors are able to deter potential would-be criminals because this way they will think twice after they realize they have to pass through a detector to gain entrance to some specific area.

As for the disadvantages of using security detectors, they are mostly of privacy concerns. A lot of people can find it uncomfortable passing through a detector when trying to inspect whether they have some potentially dangerous metallic objects. In some cases it is possible that they ask to be manually searched when the rules of the safety allow such actions.

Also, in this advantageous medical era, we can find a lot of medical reasons why some person might have metal on his/hers body. Sometimes, metal devices can be surgically installed inside the person’s body which will cause the alarm to be set off each time that person walks through a metal detector. In many cases it is possible for the security personnel to see on their computers that the metal object that caused the alarm is actually a harmless tool and not a weapon.

As already said, metal detectors create electromagnetic fields. This can cause electrical interference to electronic devices that one person might have in its possession. This includes medical devices such as pacemakers. Some metal-detectors can harm pacemakers because they have a very strong electromagnetic field. In this case, such detectors can be fatal for those people, and it is strongly advised that they avoid passing through them.

In many situations, metal detectors can give a false alarm if people are wearing some kind of jewelry, watch, phone, loose change or similar. This can make some people feel embarrassed and can cause panic for no reason. A false alarm caused by detectors can be inconvenient both for the security personnel and person to whom the alarm turned on.

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