Security smoke is a thermally generated white fog, aimed at inhibiting intruders from accessing items to steal, much used in the storage of high-value goods, and recommended by police and insurers. It consists of glycol or glycerine mixed with distilled water, which vaporises and then condenses in the air.
The market for using security smoke as a theft prevention tool came about because of an increase in the ability of thieves to circumvent existing physical security measures, often by simply raising the level of violence utilised to gain entry. Burglar alarms often have a delay of several minutes before police or private security are able to respond, meaning a well organised criminal has a period of time in which to enter and take what they like. Closed-circuit television and recording devices have been nullified as thieves routinely hide their identities. The security smoke market developed as an alternative security method, designed not to deter entry, but to prevent loss if a thief did gain access.
The first security smoke system was designed, manufactured and installed by Concept Engineering in 1974 to protect gold bullion in specialised vaults. In 1993 Concept launched the Smoke Screen range, the first commercial security smoke system to be designed and manufactured under ISO 9000.
A smoke "simulant", usually a glycol or glycerine mixed with distilled water, is vaporised and then condensed in free air to produce the distinctive smoke-like effect. The particles produced are on average 0.2-2.0 micrometres in diameter, meaning that the fog settles very slowly (and therefore has excellent longevity). This also means that residue and contamination is highly unlikely.
Security smoke systems have been employed in a wide variety of industries, including banks, jewellers, retail premises, cash-handling chains, offices and private homes. Often businesses have turned to security smoke systems when other, more traditional, security methods have failed to prevent repeated break-ins and stock loss. It is estimated that as of January 2010 there are over 100,000 premises using security smoke systems in the UK. [1]
Security smoke systems have been successfully used to protect high-value items from opportunistic smash and grab style raids, for example jewellers' window displays. Major retailers, such as Aurum Holdings – owner of Mappin & Webb, Goldsmiths and Watches of Switzerland – have installed security smoke systems and have seen a dramatic decrease in losses from such break-ins. [2]
Security smoke machines have been successfully used in protecting personnel and currency during the delivery and collection of cash. The introduction of a portable security smoke generator was awarded best new physical product at IFSEC 2009, [3] providing cash-carriers with a high-level of protection against an increased risk during out of hours cash deliveries.
Guidelines from the Association of Chief Police Officers approve security smoke devices, and the ACPO Secured by Design accreditation scheme endorses certain manufacturers of security smoke systems. UK insurers also recommend security smoke as an approved method of reducing stock loss and deterring break-ins.
One of the primary concerns raised is the possibility of contamination of premises, stock and personal possessions by the generated fog. Independent tests performed by the UK Atomic Energy Authority and Molecular Profiles Ltd (on behalf of Concept Smoke Screen Ltd [4] ) have shown that well-installed, properly maintained security smoke systems leave no residue, and some security smoke installers offer a guarantee of this. Alternative concerns suggest that the smoke can cause some intruders to panic and put staff at risk. To minimise this risk, a great deal of care is taken in selecting where the smoke generators are installed. Security smoke now has its own European standard EN50131-8, which specifically states that it must not be used in such a way as to create a mantrap. [5]
Another safety consideration is that the ejection nozzle of the fog machine does not become blocked. Some products incorporate an audible alarm in the event of nozzle blockage. [6]
Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to protect against the risk of a contingent or uncertain loss.
Fog is a visible aerosol consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. Fog can be considered a type of low-lying cloud usually resembling stratus, and is heavily influenced by nearby bodies of water, topography, and wind conditions. In turn, fog affects many human activities, such as shipping, travel, and warfare.
Glycerol, also called glycerine or glycerin, is a simple triol compound. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is sweet-tasting and non-toxic. The glycerol backbone is found in lipids known as glycerides. Because it has antimicrobial and antiviral properties, it is widely used in wound and burn treatments approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Conversely, it is also used as a bacterial culture medium. Its presence in blood can be used as an effective marker to measure liver disease. It is also widely used as a sweetener in the food industry and as a humectant in pharmaceutical formulations. Because of its three hydroxyl groups, glycerol is miscible with water and is hygroscopic in nature.
Home insurance, also commonly called homeowner's insurance, is a type of property insurance that covers a private residence. It is an insurance policy that combines various personal insurance protections, which can include losses occurring to one's home, its contents, loss of use, or loss of other personal possessions of the homeowner, as well as liability insurance for accidents that may happen at the home or at the hands of the homeowner within the policy territory.
Underwriting (UW) services are provided by some large financial institutions, such as banks, insurance companies and investment houses, whereby they guarantee payment in case of damage or financial loss and accept the financial risk for liability arising from such guarantee. An underwriting arrangement may be created in a number of situations including insurance, issues of security in a public offering, and bank lending, among others. The person or institution that agrees to sell a minimum number of securities of the company for commission is called the underwriter.
A security alarm is a system designed to detect intrusions, such as unauthorized entry, into a building or other areas, such as a home or school. Security alarms protect against burglary (theft) or property damage, as well as against intruders. Examples include personal systems, neighborhood security alerts, car alarms, and prison alarms.
Structured finance is a sector of finance — specifically financial law — that manages leverage and risk. Strategies may involve legal and corporate restructuring, off balance sheet accounting, or the use of financial instruments.
A fog machine, fog generator, or smoke machine is a device that emits a dense vapor that appears similar to fog or smoke. This artificial fog is most commonly used in professional entertainment applications, but smaller, more affordable fog machines are becoming common for personal use. Fog machines can also be found in use in a variety of industrial, training, and some military applications. Typically, fog is created by vaporizing proprietary water and glycol-based or glycerin-based fluids or through the atomization of mineral oil. This fluid vaporizes or atomizes inside the fog machine. Upon exiting the fog machine and mixing with cooler outside air, the vapor condenses, resulting in a thick, visible fog.
This is a glossary of firefighting equipment.
A coolant is a substance, typically liquid, that is used to reduce or regulate the temperature of a system. An ideal coolant has high thermal capacity, low viscosity, is low-cost, non-toxic, chemically inert and neither causes nor promotes corrosion of the cooling system. Some applications also require the coolant to be an electrical insulator.
Liability insurance is a part of the general insurance system of risk financing to protect the purchaser from the risks of liabilities imposed by lawsuits and similar claims and protects the insured if the purchaser is sued for claims that come within the coverage of the insurance policy.
Triethylene glycol, TEG, or triglycol is a colorless odorless viscous liquid with molecular formula HOCH2CH2OCH2CH2OCH2CH2OH. It is used as a plasticizer for vinyl polymers. It is also used in air sanitizer products, such as "Oust" or "Clean and Pure". When aerosolized it acts as a disinfectant. Glycols are also used as liquid desiccants for natural gas and in air conditioning systems. It is an additive for hydraulic fluids and brake fluids and is used as a base for "smoke machine" fluid in the entertainment industry.
In finance, margin is the collateral that a holder of a financial instrument has to deposit with a counterparty to cover some or all of the credit risk the holder poses for the counterparty. This risk can arise if the holder has done any of the following:
A risk pool is a form of risk management that is mostly practiced by insurance companies, which come together to form a pool to provide protection to insurance companies against catastrophic risks such as floods or earthquakes. The term is also used to describe the pooling of similar risks within the concept of insurance. It is basically like multiple insurance companies coming together to form one. While risk pooling is necessary for insurance to work, not all risks can be effectively pooled in a voluntary insurance bracket unless there is a subsidy available to encourage participation.
Home security includes both the security hardware placed on a property and individuals' personal security practices. Security hardware includes doors, locks, alarm systems, lighting, motion detectors, and security camera systems. Personal security involves practices like ensuring doors are locked, alarms are activated, owning a Dog, windows are closed, and extra keys are not hidden outside.
Theatrical smoke and fog, also known as special effect smoke, fog or haze, is a category of atmospheric effects used in the entertainment industry. The use of fogs can be found throughout motion picture and television productions, live theatre, concerts, at nightclubs and raves, amusement and theme parks and even in video arcades and similar venues. These atmospheric effects are used for creating special effects, to make lighting and lighting effects visible, and to create a specific sense of mood or atmosphere. Recently smaller, cheaper fog machines have become available to the general public, and fog effects are becoming more common in residential applications, from small house parties to Halloween and Christmas.
Since the 1990s, several mass poisonings from toxic cough syrup have occurred in developing countries. In these cases, an ingredient in cough syrup, glycerine (glycerol), was replaced with diethylene glycol, a cheaper alternative to glycerine for industrial applications. Diethylene glycol is nephrotoxic and can result in multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), especially in children.
Portfolio insurance is a hedging strategy developed to limit the losses an investor might face from a declining index of stocks without having to sell the stocks themselves. The technique was pioneered by Hayne Leland and Mark Rubinstein in 1976. Since its inception, the portfolio insurance strategy has been dubiously marketed as a product. However, this is a misnomer as it is not a policy and there is no insurer of last resort.
An intelligent banknote neutralisation system (IBNS) is a security system which protects valuable items by rendering them unusable or easily detectable if an unauthorised individual tries to gain access to them. Dye packs are commonly used to safeguard currency against bank robberies in this manner; when such a pack is taken out of the bank, it releases an indelible dye that stains the money with a conspicuous bright color, making it easy to recognise as stolen. Bonding agents (glues) have been used more recently as alternative degradation agents.
The National Security Inspectorate, or NSI, is an independent not for profit UKAS accredited certification body operating in the United Kingdom. It is not a Trade association. It serves to approve around 1800 professional security and fire safety providers in accordance with International, British and Industry Standards and Codes of Practise, who are listed in the NSI Company Finder.