In November, Surrey, B.C.-based BM&M Screening Solutions introduced the new visitor passes, which have a chemical that causes a section of the one-piece pass to turn colour — so 24 hours after a badge is issued, the word VOID appears against a light red background.

“It works fine for us because anybody coming on board, if they tried to re-enter the premises with an old badge, we’d know,” says Maureen Goosen, executive assistant, sales and marketing. The passes, called Visitor Pass Solutions, are a product of Data Management Inc. of Farmington, Conn.

With the new system, a person arriving at reception is asked to sign in by filling out a blank sticker badge — providing their name, company, the date and whom they’re visiting. The receptionist peels off the sticker and, before giving it to the visitor, takes hold of a small tab on the side and folds it under.

“That way we make sure the two parts have touched, and then the chemical reaction will take place over the 24 hours. That’s all they need to do. So visitors don’t really even see the tab. They just see their name badge,” says Goosen.

As a person signs in, what they write is automatically copied into a log below, providing BM&M with a permanent visitor record. The confidential registry book is also used to record the time each visitor arrived and left.

“We’re very pleased with it,” says Goosen. “It’s a good, compact system, very simple to use. Anybody in our facility can sign someone in. You could say it’s a universal system.”

The company has six to 10 visitors a day — mostly potential clients who are there to test their product, suppliers coming in to see the purchaser, and corporate parties. All must sign in and wear a badge. Shippers and carriers go to the shipping department and are identified there.