Safe Ratings

Ratings

Safes are classified, tested and rated in accordance with criteria established by the safe and vault industry and by testing laboratories such as Underwriter’s Laboratory and others. All of Chubb Safes have been independently tested and passed up to four different testing agencies. Only safe models that have passed very rigorous testing procedures are allowed to display labels from these agencies. Safes and vaults used in the banking and jewellry industries can have an additional rating. These ratings are based on the value of the items being protected and what hazards they are designed to protected against. These ratings are sometimes referred to as a ‘Cash or Insurance rating’.

Fire Ratings

I have seen many older safes proudly displaying a plaque or nameplate including the words “Fire proof” or ‘”Explosive proof”’ which means very little by today’s standards. Most safes designed and Manufactured to protect valuables/records against fire and explosion hazards are rated based upon how long they can keep contents at a given safe temperature (under 180 º Celsius). This is usually anywhere from thirty minutes to two hours or more. They are also tested to determine whether the cabinet can withstand being dropped from 10 m which simulates a floor collapsing or explosion during a fire.

These safes are primarily designed to protect paper records from burning. Even though they are constructed of steel, are heavy and have a combination lock, they provide little or no protection from the risk of theft or burglary. These safes range in price from $100 to as much as $2000, depending on country of manufacture, quality, size, capacity and ratings. Older fire safes lose their ability to protect against fire with age. The insulation and humidifying materials used in its construction become dry and are less likely to keep the temperature below 180 º Celsius as it gets older. A safe older than 15-20 years may no longer protect your important papers and valuables from being destroyed in a fire. It is extremely important to note that it has been shown if a business has a fire there is a 70 % of that business becoming insolvent unless they have taken adequate steps to protect both paper and computer records.

Burglary Rated Safes

Safes rated to protect against the risk of burglary are necessarily different in design and construction than are those that protect against fire alone. Features such as heavy plate steel or composite material construction, manipulation resistant locks, anti-drill barrier materials, glass relocking devices, bolt-down provisions and other advanced features are incorporated into the design of the safe to thwart even the most well equipped and determined burglars and safecrackers. These safes may also be designed to provide varying levels of protection against fire, as well. How much should I spend on a burglar resistant safe? I am often asked. The insurance industry recommends spending at least 10% of the value of the items to be protected, i.e. $10,000 = $1000. Chubb safes have a range that has both a burglary rating and a fire rating. Irreplaceable items, keep sakes and business/personal records are very difficult to place a value on, therefore you may require professional assistance in choosing a safe to protect these items.

Data Fire rated

Media safes are designed to protect computer storage media (tape back-ups, floppy disks, CDs, DVDs and removable hard drives) and the valuable data stored on them, from being damaged in a fire. They include specialized material to limit the interior temperature and humidity to below the level at which the media is damaged (generally regarded as approximately 52 º Celsius.) Even a small fire can have disastrous consequences. Cost is based on size, weight, features, ratings and levels of protection. Micrographic media can reduce the volume of storage space that would be required for paper records, but this medium is far more delicate than paper records. It is still possible to read a charred cheque book but as soon as tape or Cd is even slightly damaged by heat it becomes totally useless and unreadable.