Buying a safe for your office may really be a good decision to solve many security issues. However, to make the right choice, you need to analyze several aspects. First, you should determine why you need an office safe and what needs it should cover. Do you want to purchase a safe for storing personal belongings? Or maybe you need it for confidential documents, money, or securities? Based on this information, you will be able to understand what functionality the safe should have. That is, how resistant to break-ins should your office safe be? Does it have to be fireproof? What size should the safe be? Do you need additional services from an insurance company to protect your safe? All these factors are important to consider before buying. We also recommend you think about the location of the safe in the office because it plays a big role in ensuring the safety of your belongings. We investigated these and other questions in this article. So read on to learn all the intricacies of choosing an office safe!
Are All Safes Secure
Not all safes provide the same level of security. Therefore, if you choose an ordinary safe, you should not expect that in a certain situation, a thief will not break in and steal your property. After all, with the development of security technologies, burglary methods also develop. Thankfully, the functionality and security level of safes is increasing every day. That's why it is becoming more and more difficult for thieves to get to your valuables. However, it is worth understanding that the higher level of security we want to get, the more expensive the safe will be. That is why it is so important to correctly determine what the safe is for and what level of security it should have. Therefore, let's analyze what types of safes there are and how high their level of protection is.
Usually, safes are divided according to their security characteristics into burglar-resistant and fire-resistant. Usually, office safes are not really stable for breaking, but they are resistant in case of fire. However, let's now consider the aspect of burglar resistance. So, in general, there are 12 classes of burglary resistance. Home safes have the lowest level of break-in resistance, i.e., levels 1-2. When we are talking about office safes that are used to store papers and other important documentation, they usually have 2-3 levels of protection. The most secure office safes of the 4-5 levels of burglary resistance are used by financial institutions that need to protect valuable property or funds. Usually, safes with higher protection are made to order. It is also worth paying attention to the lock choice for the safe. So the most popular are manual, electronic, combination and biometric. Below we will consider each of these types separately.
- Manual safe lock. That is the most common type of lock used by safe manufacturers. It is equipped with a lock that can be opened with a key. That type of lock is solid and reliable and is ideal if you often get confused or can't remember digital combinations. A manual safe lock is a perfect choice for a small office safe that is used by a small number of workers.
- Electronic safe lock. Modern digital locks are ideal for both small businesses and large enterprises. Electronic lock manufacturers now have a wide variety of functions that can meet any of your needs, including time delay features, courier overrides, 100+ user programming, and even an audit log. You can usually access a safe with an electronic lock by entering the correct 6-digit code.
- Combination safe lock. Another popular and fairly reliable lock that uses a code combination to open. You can choose a lock with 3 or 4-wheel locking, which is responsible for the number of possible combinations. This type of lock allows you to create more than a million code combinations, which makes it quite difficult to gain access to such a safe.
- Biometric safe lock. One of the most secure types of lock that uses your unique fingerprint to access the safe. Thus, the biometric lock scans the fingerprint and transmits the information to an electrical device that stores the necessary data for verification. This type of lock allows you not to worry if you forget to take the key or cannot remember the access code.
Are All Safes Fire Resistant
It is worth mentioning that not all safes are fireproof. So, for example, home safes very rarely have a high level of fire resistance. While office safes do not always have high burglary resistance, they can protect your papers or other valuables from fire. Therefore, when choosing a safe for your workplace, pay attention to whether this model has been tested for fire resistance and whether it has the necessary certificates. In order to ensure a high level of protection against fire, the safe should undergo Safe's Fire Endurance Test, Safe's Explosion Hazard Test, or Safe’s Fire Impact Test. These tests are defined by the global safety certification company Underwriters Laboratories. So if you want to achieve a really fireproof office safe, then you have to pay attention to these small details. We also have some recommendations about how to choose the best fireproof safe for your home in our blog.
Where to Place the Safe in Workplace
"Where is the best place to install a safe?" is an important question. Actually, it is advisable to answer it before purchasing a safe since the safe’s type and size might affect its placement. Also, sometimes the safe's location may play a big role in whether or not a thief will be able to find your safe at all. So let's look at the best places to install safes in the workplace.
In general, if you want to ensure your assets will be safe, you may follow these main rules for placing a safe in the office. Foremost, it's better to locate your safe in a place that is difficult to access and not very visible to ordinary people. Also, make sure your access code is secure. Check that no one can spy on your code while you're entering it, and don't write down your combination on objects that can be accessed by strangers.
Safes are divided by installation type into built-in, floor and mobile.
- Built-in safes. The best choice if you want to make your safe hidden and invisible to outsiders. These safes are not too large in size and are fixed inside the wall or floor. One of the few disadvantages of this safe is the size limitation. However, a built-in safe is a good solution if the break-in resistance of a safe like this is not very high.
- Floor safe. One of the best office safes that provides a high level of security and has a large capacity. These safes are attached to walls and floors and are quite heavy, which makes it impossible to steal such a safe. Also, this safe can be disguised under furniture.
- Mobile safe. The lightest and most compact type of safe. They are equipped with a high level of security. This type includes cash boxes, car and furniture safes. However, their main disadvantage is the possibility of theft.
Summing up
A safe is an important component of the security of your property at work. However, the choice might often be quite difficult. That's why we at Sure Lock & Key are always happy to assist you in choosing the right safe that will meet all your needs and provide the highest level of protection. We also provide all safe & vault locksmith services, so if you have certain problems with your office safe, contact us!
