Tamper Evident Explained
What does Tamper Evident Security mean?
When something is referred to as “Tamper Evident”, it means that the contents cannot be accessed without there being a visual indicator that the item has been tampered with. It does not mean that the contents of whatever is sealed cannot be tampered with.
The term “Tamper Evident” has different implications depending on the type of application. For example, with Versapak products (like our Cash or Medical bags), when used with a security seal, there is a visual indication if this seal has been removed (i.e. it is Tamper Evident). With typical security seals, you can see that once a seal has been applied to the locking mechanism of a bag, to remove it breaks the seal and the same seal cannot be reattached.
For some companies, a simple visual colour reference may be used for their tamper evident solution. A real world example of this may be a mobile phone repair company where phones are delivered to the repair department with a certain colour seal (i.e. red) and once an engineer has repaired the mobile phone, it is put back into the Versapak bag with a new colour seal (i.e. green) to indicate the repair has taken place.
In situations where additional Tamper Evidence is required, Versapak offers numbered plastic security seals. These add an additional Tamper Evident reference point, so if an item has left a location with a specific security seal number, then it can be confirmed to be the same number on receipt at its destination.
1. Pull zip puller across
2. Place zip puller into locking mechanism
3. Press seal into locking mechanism to secure contents
4. To open, lift zip puller until seal breaks
For instances where increased Tamper Evidence is required, Versapak’s premium T2 seal is available either with a barcode or QR code which can be tailored to a customer’s requirement. More on different Security Seal types.
What are Tamper Evident Security Seals?
Depending on the nature of use, Tamper Evident security seals can be utilised with many different types of products. In the example above, the security seal is a plastic seal applied directly to the locking mechanism of a bag, which breaks when removed.
Alternative seals are Pull Tight seals, which are often used in situations where a visual indication of tampering is required:
An example of Pull Tight Security seals in the real world is when they are used on fire extinguishers. Security seals for fire extinguishers are required to be strong enough to remain on a product to visually indicate a fire extinguisher hasn’t been tampered with, but also need to be able to be broken quickly and easily should the fire extinguisher be required in an emergency.
Pull tight seals are also often used in a similar way on Paramedics First Aid kits, whereby the initial seal (green) is an indicator that the First Aid kit contains everything it should and then if the first aid kit is opened and used it is resealed with a red seal indicating that bag needs to be restocked at the end of shift.
What is an example of something being Tamper Evident?
As an example of something being Tamper Evident, we can look at how the security seal on a tamper evident bag works. Many different types of security seal exist for use with bags, pouches or carriers and choosing the right seal might come down to a commercial preference, cost or familiarity with existing bags a company has in circulation.
At Versapak, we sell a range of bag seals including (left to right, pictured below) Arrow Seals, Button Seals, “T” Seals and the Versapak T2 range of seal.
We illustrate this example with the T2 seal which is Versapak’s own unique patented design of seal and has multiple indicators as to whether a bag has been tampered with as pictured below – illustrating how the clips on a seal would be broken if an item had been tampered with.
What are Tamper Evident Void Labels?
Tamper Evident Void Labels are typically numbered labels which when applied cannot be removed and replaced. They can be used for a range of applications, typically used to seal boxes and doors to help reduce stock losses.
Video of Tamper Evident Security Seals
Please click below to see a video of all our bag security seals.