Standards Development

Scope

This standard gives requirements related to products used for the marking of assets, including cash, for the purposes of deterrence against theft and/or identification of stolen goods or identification of a suspect exposed to a marking product. This standard also gives requirements for products used to indicate the authenticity of an item.

This standard includes requirements for means to enable specifiers and purchasers of asset marking products to determine their suitability for purpose and gives test methodologies to confirm products meet the performance claims of manufacturers. The test methods included in this standard may be used as part of a certification scheme.

Some products claiming conformance with this standard may require the use of an associated database or asset register to enable identification of the legitimate owner of the marked asset. This standard does not include requirements for the design, management or operation of such databases or asset registers.

This standard gives requirements for the provision of information to ensure purchasers can make correct use of the asset marking product. This standard does not give requirements regarding the method of application of asset marking products nor does it give requirements for design and installation of equipment for the application of marks (e.g. spray systems or etching equipment).

This standard does not give requirements for the manufacture of the product but could be used as part of a certification process to ensure that manufactured product continues to meet the requirements of this standard.

Purpose

This standard is intended to devise a method for allowing for the testing of products used to mark, in a broad sense of the word, items and materials having value or to offer evidence that contact has been made with the mark. It was considered beneficial to purchasers or specifiers of these products to be able to make decisions based on a standardised method of testing. The standard recognises that there is a wide diversity of products and that very few of these will be suitable for an identical range of applications. The standard therefore relies on the principle that it is used to confirm the claims made by manufacturers.

Cash marking

Smoke based systems activate coloured smoke in the event of a robbery. The smoke attracts witness attention and stains banknotes thus supporting forensic investigation. Dye based systems activate a coloured, liquid dye in the event of a robbery which also stains banknotes. This makes notes easy to identify as stolen and again supports forensic investigation.

Asset and Property marking

Property marking is the permanent identification of items to deter thieves. As criminals can be linked to the crime and can be caught and convicted, property marking is a powerful deterrent. Property is uniquely marked and a corresponding number or code may be registered on a master database. This can also enable stolen property to be returned to its rightful owner.

Who are the intended users? (Please give job roles and industry sectors)

Manufacturers

Manufacturers wishing to have products tested should select the appropriate rating from each of the categories listed in this standard. The selection should be based on the rating that is considered to be closest to the intended use, such as Asset Identification; Theft Indication; Counterfeit Protection; Suspect Verification, and Event Detection.

Test Houses

Tests should be performed on the products according to the procedures given in clause 7 and as appropriate to the rating chosen by the manufacturer for each category. The diverse nature of products means that tests cannot be wholly standardised. For example it may not be possible to select one test substrate that is suitable for all products because of absorbency or resistance to adhesive. Additionally the manufacturer may be aware of reasons why a particular test may require a specific procedure. It is vital that the methods used for testing are accurately and thoroughly recorded.

Because of the nature of the products and their use for security purposes the knowledge of how tests are performed and the precise results should not be publicised without full consent of the manufacturer.

During testing the test house should employ randomisation of samples whenever possible. For example when testing labels on a reel it is preferable not to use consecutive labels, which would almost certainly have near identical characteristics. Similarly when testing products in category MRC R4 the same unique product should not be used for multiple different tests.

Why will users adopt the standard?

The items that can be marked include:

Personal Possessions

Office & IT Equipment

Lead Roofs, Copper Cable & other metals

Cars, Motorbikes, Cycles, Caravans & Boats and other forms of transport

Plant, Farming & Construction Equipment

Medical Equipment

Tools and Machinery

Possibly the most cost-effective way to safeguard assets Effective – thieves will not choose to handle marked property, property and Offender Marking solutions are so effective in reducing crime as they link property and criminals to their crimes.

Cost-effective and simple solution that can be carried out by your own employees Satisfies Insurance Requirements and could lead to a reduction in premiums Gives you a chance of stolen or lost items being returned Gives the Police the ability to prove ownership and secure convictions

For Forensic marking products and procedures, this Standard would be in compliance with and support of the Forensic Science Regulator’s Code of Practice 2019 (FSR CoP), to ensure that forensic evidence of theft of marked products will be secure in a Court of Law.

As well as in support of the FSR CoP and Courts of Law, this Standard will support the protection of National Infrastructure which is particularly susceptible to extensive disruption due to thefts, such as railway signalling cabling, communications network cabling, etc.