Example - X-ray damage from Airport checked baggage scanner

[Leigh Youdale]

Delta 400. Heathrow 2006.
Thought you might like to see what a severely zapped film can look like!

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

Was this caused by the carry-on scanner, or the luggage scanner?

Ken

 

[Vaughn]

Reminds me of some slide film I had my mom mail to me from the USA to NZ back about 30 years ago. She did not write "Film: Do Not X-ray" on the package -- and on the packet was a stamp that said "Inspected by Customs" (and the packet obviously had not been opened).

 

[Leigh Youdale]

Checked baggage. There was a security scare on - I think it was the time of the "Shoe Bomber" - and about the only thing you could carry on board was a toothbrush and essential medication. Everything else had to be checked. I just thought people might like to actually see what can happen instead of talking about it.

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

I just thought people might like to actually see what can happen instead of talking about it.

Thanks, Leigh.

It's true everyone always talks about it, but this is the first time I've ever actually seen it. I had always imagined some sort of uniform, all-over fogging. But thinking about it after seeing your example I suppose my mental image would not be consistent with a "scanning" mechanism applied to a tightly wound roll of film oriented at a random angle inside a bag.

I think this is a valuable addition to the APUG archives.

Ken

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

Thanks for posting this. People should also be aware that some airports, such as Melbourne, have baggage scanners AFTER you clear customs and immigration, and these are not the same as the carry-on scanners.

 

[Ian Grant]

Thanks for posting this. People should also be aware that some airports, such as Melbourne, have baggage scanners AFTER you clear customs and immigration, and these are not the same as the carry-on scanners.

The baggage scans I've been through on landing have been identical to the carry on scanners. The same scanners are used in many countries at courts, municipal buildings, shopping centres as a well as on some cruise ships etc.

If there are operatives close to the machines particularly young females and not wearing dosimeters, they are film safe.

These same machines are used to check post particularly International packages and again are film safe. Airports also use them for checked in baggage, only if something is suspicious or unidentified is the baggage passed on to the higher intensity machines for more thorough examination. These have shielding etc to protect operatives from the more harmful X-ray radiation, often the machines are isolated from the operatives.

When film is close to electrical equipment, cables, mains leads etc it gets checked more meticulously, it's important to try and keep film away from these items.

Ian

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

Thanks for the information, Ian. I've asked the operators a few times and they have suggested that they are the same as the main baggage scanners, and they've also never made a fuss of my requests for hand scans. Then again, I haven't noticed the operators wearing dosimeters, so that's good to know.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

This is a quite nasty result indeed.

Back and forth to New Zealand and various parts of Australia, nothing has ever happened to my 100 to 50 iso films through X-Ray (including film in-camera) but then I've gone to the trouble of putting films in a clear snaplock bag and holding that up to the first Customs Officer to approach me to allow him to hand-inspect. He/she will usually agree, but then may insist it goes through the scanner! Do it. :confused:

 

[Leigh Youdale]

The Australian Regulations require security operators to do a manual inspection if requested. (Does not necessarily apply elsewhere). I have an email from the Dept of Transport Safety - several in fact - that make this quite clear, quoting chapter and verse. Many/most operators and their supervisors are unaware of this or just don't want to know. I used to carry a copy of the emails and used them a few times but, frankly, up to 400 ISO the carry-on baggage scans aren't a problem.
Somebody is going to ask, I'm sure and, yes, I still had a problem with a particularly aggressive supervisor who said he didn't care what emails I had, my film was going through the scanner. I asked him to fetch the Airport Security Manager to settle the matter and to record my complaint and he huffed and puffed and then deflated. His attitude still had some way to go. But I only ever did that once.

 

[BarryWilkinson]

Did you transfer to another flight? All transfer baggage at Heathrow (and probably elsewhere) is scanned with with scanners of a type I would not want my film through. The operators do not sit close to these machines.

 

[Murray Kelly]

This also went thru the baggage in Wellington, New Zealand. It was unfortunately the last time I saw my father alive. :-(