Airport security screening changes to come into effect on 1 February 2025 31 January 2025 The Department of Home Affairs has recently advised that some changes to security screening will come into effect at Australian airports from 1 February 2025. The Department of Home Affairs has confirmed that where a person has a medical device or equipment, and the security officer determines that it can’t be screened by body scanning equipment or a walk-through metal detector, other screening methods appropriate for the person’s medical device must be used. General changes from 1 February 2025 include: Where a person with special circumstances is unsuitable for body scanner or walk through metal detector screening, or where further screening is required, a private screening facility must be offered by a screening officer prior to undertaking secondary screening processes on the person. Extra screening methods will be required to resolve alarms when passing through security screening. Under current requirements one secondary screening method is typically used by the screening officer to resolve the alarm, for example, hand-held metal detector. Under the incoming requirements, screening officers may be required to use two methods for screening, for example, explosive trace detection and hand-held metal detector. Screening officers have a number of screening methods available to them including a frisk, and will select the most appropriate for the circumstances. A frisk search should be undertaken by a screening officer of the same gender as the traveller where practicable. It is not always possible for all genders to be represented at the screening point on any given day. Where a frisk search is to be conducted, and the screening officer and passenger are of a different gender, both parties must consent to the frisk and specific rules must be followed. The Department has also clarified some key pieces of information including that a screening officer must not remove, attempt to remove, or interfere with a medical device or equipment, or ask the passenger to remove the medical device or equipment. Other clarifications include: Under Australia’s aviation security legislation, passengers at Australian airports are not able to ask for or select their own method of screening, and when presenting at a screening point are taken to consent to all methods of screening other than a frisk search. Passengers travelling with a medical device or medical equipment are not required to apply for an exemption from screening, but nor are they exempt from screening. It is recommended that passengers with a medical device or medical equipment inform the screening officer before beginning the screening process. It is also recommended that passengers with a medical device or medical equipment that are concerned may not be suitable for screening using body scanner or walk-through metal detector carry a letter or supporting documentation from a legal medical practitioner and show this to the screening officer before beginning the screening process. It is then at each airport’s discretion which evidence they choose to accept, and they are likely to confirm the stated device is present on the person. Where a person has a medical device or equipment, and it is determined by the screening officer it is not suitable for screening by body scanning equipment or walk-through metal detector, alternate screening methods appropriate for the person’s medical device must be completed. If a passenger has any questions or is uncomfortable at any time throughout the screening process, it is recommended they that they speak with the on-duty screening supervisor. They can also provide feedback about their experience by contacting the relevant airport directly. The Department has further clarified that body scanners in Australia do not use x-rays; they use millimetre-waves, part of the radio frequency spectrum utilised by many devices in everyday public use, such as mobile phones and wireless network devices. Diabetes Australia continues to encourage people wearing medical devices to follow the advice from the manufacturer and their health professional about safe methods of security screening, and to travel with a letter from a health practitioner if the device can’t go through a body scanner. We are continuing to advocate for better airport security screening measures for people wearing insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring devices. In our advocacy to the Federal Government, airports and manufacturers we are working to ensure better training of security staff and more comprehensive advice from manufacturers. More information about the changes listed above will be available on the Department’s TravelSecure website from 1 February.
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