A Publicly Available Specification (PAS 40) FOR banknote theft deterrent systems is now available from the British Standards Institution (BSI). This represents the first UK standard for security systems that protect cash by degrading it with smoke or dye, thereby enabling stolen money to be identified.
Members of the British Security Industry Association’s Cash and Property Marking Section have been actively involved in the production of the new PAS.

Digby Ram, chairman of the Section, was a member of the BSI Committee working on the document. “Banknote degradation systems are proven to be an effective means of deterring criminals from committing robberies or, in the event of a robbery, preventing them from using the stolen cash,” said Ram. “PAS 40 can be seen as a highly significant development for the sector. It defines the requirements for effective and reliable systems, which means that customers now have a benchmark for quality.”

Ram stressed that the longer term goal is to develop the PAS into a fully-fledged British Standard, and eventually into a European Technical Standard.

Copies of PAS 40 are available direct from the British Standards Institution (telephone: 020 8996 9001 for further information).

Source

SMT