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Three things to consider before buying safes and lockboxes
Choosing the right type of cabinet primarily depends on what you will be storing in it. Here are a few different types:
- A filing cabinet stores photos, contracts, and other business documents. It protects them against fire, but not against burglary. Therefore, you should not store confidential documents in such a cabinet.
- A safety locker (also known as a safe) is a good choice for storing a large amount of money, gold, and precious metals. Some safes are also approved for storing weapons.
- A weapons cabinet is there to protect against the theft of your weapons and ammunition. Some are also fire-protected.
- A key cabinet is a so-called anti-theft cabinet, in which you can store keys in spaces where many people are present, for example in a store.
- A cash drawer is a burglary-delaying cabinet that can store a small amount of cash.
How much money do you plan to store in the cabinet? This is important, as it must be approved for that amount. It is also a good idea to double-check with your insurance company that the insurance covers the cabinet you are planning to buy.
Companies often have a minimum requirement that the safe must be certified in accordance with regulations for the storage of cash up to a certain amount, as well as weapons and ammunition.
Some security cabinets are safe from burglary, while others are also fireproof. On the other hand, a fireproof cabinet does not always mean that it is also safe from burglary.
It is important that you choose one that is certified, so that you know that it meets certain requirements.
A fire protection marking consists of a number and a P, for example 60P. The number indicates how many minutes the cabinet remains fire protected, and P stands for paper.
If you want to store data media, the P classification is not approved, as DVDs and the like are destroyed at lower temperatures than paper. Instead, you need the classification 60DIS, 120DIS, UL60, or UL120.
Sound complicated? Read more about safety standards and certifications here.