It might not seem like the most obvious piece of equipment that a company needs, but an X-Ray machine can be a vital part of you day-to-day workings and facilities management. They’re essential in tightening your security measures.

But not everyone is a security expert, so to help here are some essential facts you should know about X-Ray Scanners.

1. They are safe to use

You are right to be concerned about radiation of X-Rays, exposure in large doses can be incredibly harmful. But when utilised and handled carefully we can do incredible things with it.

When X-Rays are used for security purposes the machines have been designed with precision to ensure that they are safe for business use. For example a cabinet security scanner contains an X-ray tube installed within a shielded enclosure. The enclosure is made up of a material, usually lead, that prevents most of the X-ray radiation from escaping the cabinet.

2. They’re not just for airports

You can find them used to improve the security in many kinds of environment. The more obvious places are for police stations, courtrooms & banks. But they are also used in busy mailrooms and receptions for many kinds of business. They are also used to improve the security of embassies, hotels, shopping malls, schools & universities and venues for public events.

3. X-Rays are used differently in security and medicine

Although they both use radiation to detect hidden threats in a non-intrusive way, X-Rays are used in different ways in security and in medicine. One big difference is how an image is printed. In security you can usually get the X-Ray image in colour to help you identify objects much easier.

4. They don’t just have conveyor belts

As well as conveyor belts there are also cabinet X-Ray scanners as well. These provide a compact, cost-effective threat detection solution if you have certain space requirements. There are different models for different business requirements. For example a TR10 cabinet scanner is a compact solution, that can even be desk mounted, and is ideal for if you need to scan parcels and post.

5. They include some useful features

An X-Ray Scanner is a piece of essential security kit. But it doesn’t mean it goes without some nifty features. As well as providing an image which can be zoomed in on and inspected some details, some can automatically detect items, such as weapons, and alert you using its own unique system.

Some scanners can also be set up to email scans to staff members and, as an added security measure, activated by ID cards.