Should it be theft-proof? Fire resistant? How large should it be?
Almost any type of safe can protect your important documents and other valuable items from most threats, but there are real differences between different types of safes when it comes to security. Which safe you should choose depends on the threats that you most worried about.
Theft protection
The most popular safes for business are designed for protection against burglary. They have very strong locks designed to be difficult to crack or circumvent even by experienced burglars. They also typically boast a heavier weight and very solid construction, so that it is impractical to make off with the safes or penetrate their exterior using tools. Some examples of safes that offer great theft protection are theAMSEC MS1414K Security Safe and theHayman CV-20-C Burglar Safe. Safes like these are perfect for storing sensitive documents, cash, or easily fenced valuables such as jewelry that may prove enticing to professional thieves.
Fire Protection
Fire protection is a great idea for many businesses. In fact, while there are more burglaries than fires every year, fires pose a very high monetary risk to property. Some fire safes have very secure locks, much like burglar safes, but can also survive very high temperatures from 30 minutes to longer than 120 minutes. On the other hand, many fire safes have less secure locks and very thin metal than equivalently-priced burglar safes. Most fires burn in excess of 1200 degrees, and so it is a safe bet that anything not stored in a fire safe, documents especially, would be destroyed in the case of a serious fire. Fire safes do have varying degrees of fire protection. They are rated in terms of “able to survive x temperature for y minutes without damaging the contents.” Higher quality fire safes will be able to hold out against hotter blazes for greater periods of time.
Composite safes
Many safes are designed for protection against both burglaries and fires. These models are typically somewhat more expensive, but they are essentially the only option for good protection against burglary and fire. We recommend looking at a safe that will give you both burglar and fire protection.
Examples of fire safes with the burglar protection include theSafe and Vault Store PM-1014C TL-15 Burglary 2 Hour Fire Safe and theMesa MTLE1814 TL-15 Fire Rated Composite Safe.
Wall and floor safes
Businesses that deal with large amounts of cash on a daily basis often use wall and floor safes. These are harder for burglars to steal and also find than a free-standing safe, but naturally they are not a good option if mobility is required. If you believe you may relocate in the near future, then a wall or floor safe may not make sense. Also, wall and floor safes are sometimes large enough for a business’s needs, making a large freestanding safe a better bet. Some examples of some of our more popular wall safes include the
Gardall SL4000F Heavy Duty Wall Safe and the
Hayman FS2300 Polyethylene In-Floor Safe.
Safes your business may need
If you’re a small business, chances are a single safe will be perfectly sufficient to keep your valuables secure, so it pays to think carefully about what kind of safe that ought to be. If you are a larger business or a business that frequently deals with valuable items (such as a jewelry store), then it may make sense to have multiple different types of safes. You could have a large freestanding safe, and a smaller fire-rated floor safe, for example. It’s all about your individual needs. If you’re just not sure what you need, don’t worry! Our consultants are here to help. You can chat online at any time, and find the answers you need. Or you can call Safe and Vault Store at 800-207-2259.
