| An office
safe, while usually similar to a home safe, provides
more protection against burglary and fire and usually provides
more storage space than a home safe. There are a number
of factors to consider when choosing an office safe. Two
of the most important factors are the burglary and fire
ratings assigned to the safe.
The burglary rating gives an indication of how difficult
it would be to break into the safe. Look for an RSC rating
when choosing an office safe. An RSC rating means that the
safe has been subjected to a test and shown to resist break-in
by an experienced person (a professional locksmith), using
common power and hand locksmith's tools, for a period of
at least 5 minutes. While this may not seem like a very
long time, it is to a professional burglar, who must rely
on a quick "in-and-out" in order not to be caught.
Though most office safes will not really come with an RSC
rating. It is best to look at the quality of the safe. How
long is it fire rated for? What about the size of the bolts?
The fireproof rating assigned to an office
safe is also important. The fireproof rating
gives an indication of how well the safe will protect your
valuable documents in the event of a fire. An example fireproof
rating would be a 2 hour 350 degree F rating. This rating
means that the safe could be exposed to a 1700 degree F
fire for a period of 2 hours, and that the internal temperature
of the safe would not rise above 350 degrees F. This temperature
is low enough to protect documents from permanent damage.
Another factor to consider when choosing an office safe
is the type of locking mechanism used. Models are available
with mechanical combination dials and with electronic keypad
dials. For added security, dual-lock systems are available
that add a keylock in addition to the mechanical or electronic
combination lock. Also, when choosing a mechanical combination
dial, look for a more secure 4-number combination.
For more convenience, consider an office safe with an electronic
keypad locking mechanism. To open the safe, the user simply
enters the combination on a PIN pad, similar to the ones
used by ATM machines. Also, multiple users with multiple
PIN numbers can be enrolled and granted access to the safe.
Models are also available with an audit trail - this feature
allows a supervisor to see when the safe has been accessed
and by whom.
You should also consider the overall amount of storage
you need when choosing an office safe. Be sure to choose
a model that provides for future growth in your storage
needs. In addition, special safes are available for special
needs. If you need to store a large amount of legal or letter-size
documents, then a special filing cabinet safe might be the
best solution. If your business deals with a large amount
of cash on a daily basis, you might want to consider a depository
safe for temporary storage during the day. Then use a regular
office safe for more secure storage of the cash at night.
As you can see, there are a number of factors to consider
when choosing an office safe.
Be sure to consider the factors that are important to you,
to ensure that you choose the office safe that is right
for your needs.
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