What are meter seals and what are the benefits?
Meter seals are a tamper-evident security seals, providing a visual indicator to determine tampering or removal. They are commonly applied to electric and water meters, gas meters, drums and valves. The seals are laser printed as standard with sequential numbering and made from strong polypropylene plastic and copper wire.
If meter seals are not produced and applied correctly, the can be be tampered with in any of the following ways:
- Imitation of seals or parts of seals
- Reapplication of broken seal after removal
- Fraudulent manipulation of the seal
There are precautions and fail-safes which must be applied to prevent successful tampering with meter seals. Sequential numbering is the foundation of tamper-evident measures and ensures every seal is unique by the number displayed. Descriptive information such as lot numbers, serial numbers, and barcodes written on the seal also provide traceability to the user, allowing the user to easily identify evidence of tampering and report the disturbance. These identifying marks can of course be imitated by more sophisticated methods but exact recording of seal markings can prevent the application of counterfeit replacements.
What are the most common type of meter seal and how is it applied?
Twister Seals for meters are used for security check tamper indication on electricity, gas and water meter counters, plumbing devices, and fuel pumps. The transparent body of the meter security seals means that the locking mechanism is visible and can provide clear indication of any intricate tampering. The seal is secured by twisting a wire, that secures your protected object, on an inside protected rotor that can not be undone without damaging the security seal. Because of this the meter security seals are also named twist seals or counters seals.
After the inner part is mounted inside the body, it is fixed by mounting the plug on the body. In order to remove the inner part from the body, interference with the plug is necessary. Since the plug is embedded in the body and joined to the body by ultrasonic welding, it will break if removal is attempted, thus providing evidence of tampering. The structure of this seal does not allow the inner part to be removed from the seal without damage.
Equipment and control devices security seal can withstand exposure to sunlight and extreme weather and a wide range of temperatures. Some of the security seals are containing components which glow under ultraviolet light allowing the seal to be easily located in darkness. Twister seals are designed for single use only and are destroyed when removed.
The security seals for equipment and control devices are disposable tamper-evident security seals which restricts access to closed objects, for security access purposes, for those who do not have clearance to interfere. Highly usable on securing utility meters control devices, other tamper-evident applications may include taxi meters devices and control cabinets.
