Safes
Burglar Resistive vs Fire Resistive
Burglary safes are rated for the time they resist an attack through the safe door, unless it’s indicated that it has a six sided “X6” rating.
Fire safes are rated for how long it takes the inside of the safe to reach a certain temperature when “baked” as in a fire. They may also be tested when hot on their resistance to dropping 30’ to mimic falling through burning floorboards.
Fire safes are also broken down into document (paper) or media (computer data or photographic negatives) storage. If you are storing documents or media that have no negotiable value, then you might consider a protective file cabinet for easier storage.
Safes are built to meet certain fixed standards of either fire resistance and/or burglar resistance. Non-negotiable paper documents and records can safely be housed in a fire resistive safe. However, if the items are primarily valuables of the type that are burglary “target items,” then a burglar resistive safe should be your choice. Floppy disks, magnetic tapes, and photographic negatives will not be protected in a standard fire resistant safe. These items need additional protection from heat and moisture and should be placed in a “media” safe.
There is no “fireproof” or “burglar proof” safe. Given enough time and heat, anything will burn. Given time and the proper tools any lock can be defeated.
The basic construction design of a fire resistive safe is a hollow sheet metal casing which is filled with fire resistive insulation and then tested for performance in an oven for a time duration of 1, 2, or 4 hours at fixed maximum temperatures. For most circumstances, a 1-hour or 2-hour tested safe is sufficient for fire protection. However, the following rule of thumb should be remembered: “The better a structure is built, the hotter the contents will burn. Hence, a fire proof building has the hottest type of fire and needs more protection than a wood frame construction”.
The basic construction of a burglary resistant safe is solid high tensile steel walls and door. There are many different degrees of burglar resistance. Generally, burglary resistant safes are built to meet various insurance classifications as set out by the Insurance Services Office and thereby earn discounts from basic insurance premiums.
Media safes are available through a number of manufacturers. However, inserts are available that may be put into UL listed fire resistant safes thereby providing a media protective area. The inserts tend to use a great deal of the available space within the safe, so plan accordingly.
Most of the safes currently in houses and businesses in the U.S. are simple insulated (fire) safes which may offer protection against fire, but are almost useless against a burglar, even if they have a combination lock. A husky teenager with a stout screwdriver can open them.
Most fire safes weigh at the most a few hundred pounds. Burglars can carry them away easily (eventually with the help of a “dolly”) to a secluded place where they can take their time and make any noise necessary to open them. Some of these safes are simple tin boxes which can be bought at the hardware store or office supply store…did you say a “safe”??? The danger of these not-so-burglar-resistant “safes” is that they tell a burglar where the valuables may be. They make his search shorter and his task easier while offering a very limited (if any) burglary protection.
Some old safes may be heavy and look imposing, but most of them do not offer any more burglary protection than the simple insulated safes, and moreover, their fire proofing has, in many cases, deteriorated to such an extent that they no longer even offer fire protection.
Simple steel plate safes (steel boxes) may be tool-resistant and have U.L. labels to that effect, but anybody with a torch can make a hole several inches wide in any of them. It takes only a few minutes. Moreover, in the case of a fire or an attack with a torch, these safes act like an oven, burning their contents very quickly.
U.L. labels may be used as a guideline as you determine your safe needs. They mean that a safe, or most often the door of a safe, has been tested by laboratory engineers using a very limited number of tools and/or methods of attacks, and has successfully resisted these attacks, under special laboratory conditions, for a given number of minutes.
There are a variety of combination locks available . Group II locks are the most common type on home safes today. They provide a 1, 2, or 3 number combination. Group I locks provide a greater degree of protection as they greatly decrease the possibility of even a skilled professional from “cracking” the safe by manipulation of the combination.
Electronic “push button” locks are becoming more common. They offer many features not found on mechanical combination locks including ease of daily use, easy combination changes, and no reduction in levels of security. The convenience that an electronic lock provides makes it very attractive if the safe is to be used often. Electronic combination locks generally add to the cost of the safe.
You may be able to increase your security by having both a combination and a high security keyed lock on the safe. Again, you must weigh the cost and the convenience against your actual needs. Standard keyed locks will offer no additional protection to a safe. However, the loss or the theft of a key is noticeable and action can be taken to remedy this loss or theft.
There are no miracles. Even small (l cubic foot internal capacity) safes cannot offer decent fire and burglar protection unless they cost about $1000 delivered and installed.
Safes must be properly encased. Their doors and locking systems must be properly designed and built. Free standing safes must weigh at least 400 to 500 lbs. (for an internal capacity of 1 cu. ft.), be properly anchored, and offer real fire and burglar (against tool and torch) protection. Some levels of burglary protection are not valid unless certain requirements pertaining to weight are adhered to. Tool resistant safes must weigh at least 750 pounds or be bolted to the floor to maintain their burglary resistant rating.
So do YOU need a decent fire and burglar resisting-safe? If so, your source of information and advice should be professionals representing one of the well established, reputable firms providing high-security safes.
Please consider our firm for reliable, confidential advice, sales and service.
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