The scanner which has been claimed by testers that it will ”speed up security checks by quickly revealing any concealed weapons or explosives”. However, the images will show up more than just concealed weapons or explosives. The airport has stressed that the images are not pornographic and will be destroyed straight away if it does not pick up anything suspicious.
The scanners are proving popular among many of the airport’s passengers, as it is less hassle than undressing and patting down the customer being searched.
The scanners cost £80,000 each, and work by beaming electromagnetic waves on to passengers while they stand in a booth. A virtual three-dimensional image is then created from the reflected energy which gets deleted immediately if no suspicious objects are found to be on the person.
The head of customer services at the airport states the radiation levels are “super safe” She also says that “Passengers can go through this machine 5,000 times a year each without worrying. The amount of radiation transmitted is tiny.”
It is still unknown whether the scanners will be used on a permanent basis at the airports, but the Department for Transport will decide whether to install them permanently in about a year’s time.
No comments:
Post a Comment