Lead seal
A seal (from Latin plumbum , " lead ") is a seal for a container or housing. By attaching a seal to the closure of a container or device, it can later be determined whether the container or device has been (unauthorized) opened. Removing seals can be punishable as destruction of documents.
Lead seals have been used since Roman times. Are precursors with the rolling seal provided Tonplomben of the Near East.
materials
Seals are mostly small lead discs (6-10 mm in diameter) with one or two holes through which the sealing wire is passed. Then the seal is pressed together with the sealing pliers . The sealing wire is clamped in such a way that it cannot be moved, while the pliers stamp the stamp on both sides of the seal (see main stamp ).
Due to occupational safety and waste problems, seals made of plastic ( polycarbonate ) or soft aluminum are increasingly used today .
Applications
- Customs seal : Securing consignments of goods from undetected access (seals are one of the means of identification under customs law )
- Truck loading space for transit traffic: Proof that no goods were unloaded during the journey
- Calibrated measuring devices, e.g. B. Water meter : Proof that the setting has not been changed
- Prevention of unauthorized manipulation of technical equipment requiring approval
- Closure of a control bracelet as a substitute for admission tickets (see picture on the right)
- Rendering useless of technical connections that cannot be deactivated (e.g. connections to the cable television network if the tenant does not want a connection)
- Vehicles: Limitation of the engine power in order to be allowed to drive the vehicle with a lower driving license category
- Military: seals to prevent accidents (seal may only be removed in the event of war)
Legal issues
The unauthorized removal of a private seal does not constitute a breach of the seal , as it is not used as a seal. Rather, under certain circumstances, the disruption of a company according to Section 316b StGB may come into question. The criminal offense of fraudulent performance under Section 265a can also be met, for example if a sealed television cable connection is used illegally. Civil law consequences can also arise from contractual regulations with the supplier. Finally, warranty claims and guarantee services can be omitted and an operating license can expire.
Similar methods
Seals are increasingly being replaced by adhesive labels , which are designed in such a way that they cannot be removed without being destroyed in the process ( seal marks ).
Sealing clamps , which are placed over the screw connections of pipes, have similar tasks to seals in order to make unauthorized manipulation of water or gas pipes, for example, more difficult.
