During screening, what should you do if the magnetometer alarm sounds initially?

• A. Ask them again to remove metal
• B. Immediately hand scan them
• C. Clear them to proceed
• D. Ignore the alarm

Answer: (A)

When a magnetometer alarm sounds, the first step is to ask the person to remove metal items again and re-pass through. This recheck helps determine if the trigger is from an item still present or from a false reading, reducing unnecessary escalations and keeping the screening process efficient and safe. If the alarm persists after the recheck, then proceed with the next level of screening per protocol (such as a hand-held scan). Ignoring the alarm or clearing someone to proceed without rechecking would bypass an essential safety check, and moving straight to a hand scan without the initial recheck isn’t the correct first action.