Safety of valuables is of prime concern at every office or home. Security safes are the best way to tackle this problem. Security safes include a range of electrical and mechanical safes that are fire and burglary resistant. By having a security safe, your worries about the security of your cash and other important documents are over.

Safes are secure lockable boxes that are used for securing valuable objects so that they can be protected against the theft and damage. Security safes are normally hollow cuboids, cylindrical and one face of it can be removed or hinged to the door. The body and door are cast from metal and are formed out of plastic.

The essential requirements for security safes are:

•    Burglar-resistance
•    Fire resistance
•    Weather resistance

Some security safes contain hardware which automatically dispenses cash and validates bills.

Fire resistant safes

Fire resistant safes are designed to protect the content and valuables from high temperature and fire. Such types of security safes are normally rated by the amount of time within which they can withstand extreme temperatures.

Fire resistant security safes consist of self-contained devices which incorporate insulated bodies, drawers and non-rated multi drawer devices. Burglary resistant security safes are rated according to their resistance to the type of tools which are used in the attack and also the duration of the attack. In-floor safes which are installed on concrete floors are resistant to fire.

Safes are an essential requirement in every office. If you want to keep your valuables secured then your must get a security safe.

If you have important valuables in your office or home, then you must protect them from burglary and fire. The best way of doing it is by having security safes in which you can store your goods and valuables.

The most important thing that you should keep in mind while choosing a security safe is what you plan to keep in the safe. Security safes are a convenient way of securing precious and important items. Security safes offer the perfect solution for your security needs. The businesses can easily manage their cash with the help of security safes that provide burglary and fire protection.

Hotel and residential security safes offer convenience as they have electronically programmed locks for storing the credit cards, jewellery and other important documents.

Fire and burglary protection

If you have security safes, your precious items are protected from fire. Fire resistant security safes are made from special fire proof material that keeps your important valuables secured even in the case of a fire. If you have a moving business, then you can carry the security safes wherever you want to move the belongings of your customers.

Security safes are the best way to keep your important belongings secured. They protect your belongings not only from theft or burglary, but also from fire.

Everyone now realises the importance of buying a safe from point of view protecting one’s crucial personal and business related belongings. Here are some handy tips to buy the perfect safe:

Know what you want to store
You may want to safeguard cash, jewellery, disks, new media items, files and records. It will help to know the exact measurements of the largest item to be kept in the safe. Once you work out what you want to store, you choice will be simpler.

Know what size of safe you want to buy
One would have to determine the size of the safe, as it will need to fit in its designated space. Space constraints will have to be considered before buying a safe.
One has to keep in mind that a larger safe does not necessarily mean better protection.

Invite a safe specialist
The installation of a safe must always be performed by a specialist. Ideally, it should be installed into the wall or floor. This way it will not only be protected against theft but also against fire.

Security Safes vary by what is called as ‘cash rating’, which assigns them a quality label. If you carefully consider the cash rating of a particular safe, it will give you a good indication of how foolproof, secure and reliable the safe in question is. Although it is pertinent to note here that this rating applies in real-life scenario only if you have installed a safe precisely and exactly according to the recommendations of a safe manufacturer.

You should also definitely consider the way the safe you buy will lock. There are various options available for lock protection. For instance, you may either select a traditional key lock or a mechanical dial or even an electronic keypad that needs PIN code entry. The latter is one of the most popular methods. There are varieties like time locks, key and combination type as well as dual locks, which require presence of two individuals to open the safe.

Once you have worked out the appropriate cash rating for your safe and have also decided the lock type, you can be assured that you have made a correct decision.

No individual ever thinks that his or her home will be the target of a burglary incident until it actually happens, and by the time one encounters such an unfortunate incident it is too late to take the desired steps to protect your home or business belongings.

Even a good insurance policy cannot always provide the safety required because it cannot replace your most coveted and the most precious items as well as sensitive office documents and paperwork once they have been stolen. No follow-up measure can retrieve them for you so it is better to take preventive action.
If you visualise this scenario, you will realise why a security safe or a foolproof fire safe is such a valuable investment. It offers you complete peace of mind as well as security. A quality safe will act as a protective shield against theft or fire.

Last but not the least, it is vital to couple your solid safes with a home security system to cut the burglar short from breaking into your house and accessing the safe. And even if a thief does manage to do so, the sturdy device will protect your belongings.

If you want to safeguard the documents against fire as well as burglary, you have the option of a composite body safe. These safes have a thick high quality steel and have concrete on both the walls of the safe. These are generally heavy with a minimum weight of 700lbs.

The location of the safe depends on the type we purchase. While a simple fire safe can be placed anywhere in the house, it should not be placed in the basement where there are chances of water logging in the case of flooding. The safe would get damaged, unless it is waterproof as well.

Heavier safes cannot be placed on wooden flooring and need to be mounted on concrete flooring to withstand the weight of the safe. Small burglar resistant safes should be concealed properly and if possible be fitted on wall cavities or the floor.

There are various types of safes with fire safety insulation to protect valuable documents. These insulated fire safety safes can give protection against fire or extreme high temperatures. To sum up, you can keep your precious possessions secure with Fire and Burglary Safes.

The cash rating is usually determined by the manufacturer after taking into account several relevant factors comprising the thickness or strength of the walls and door of the unit; the resistance a safe has to offer while being moved; the security, complexity and solidity of the lock and bolt mechanics, and the overall build quality. The higher the cash rating a safe gets, the more secure it will be.

As a practical example, a safe with a cash rating of £2,000 will indicate that you can store up to £2,000 cash or say up to £20,000 worth of valuables (As a rule, multiply the assigned cash rating by 10 when storing non-cash items like jewellery in it).

This means that your insurance firm should insure cash of up to £2,000 or valuables worth up to £20,000 stored in a safe with a cash rating of £2,000. It is advisable to crosscheck with your insurance firm if you possess a specific high value item, which you wish to store in a safe. It is not uncommon for insurance firms to ask for safes that have a higher cash rating tag than the actual value of the item.

Often it is too late to realise the mistake of not having prepared proper safety measures.

It is advisable for all to conduct a self audit of their needs to determine what extra measures are necessary for an effective safety net:

•    Do you put a lot of cash or jewellery in a safe at home? Ensure that the safe is of solid make and of a reputed brand. If you compromise on quality, it is like giving an open invitation to a burglar to decamp with your hard earned precious items on account of your folly. This simple safety measure can rid you of so many hassles and worries at a little cost.
•    Businesses must realise that they have a duty to protect their belongings. A safe installed in the business premises must be adequately guarded. The locking system must be of the highest order.
•    Do you have a fire safe in the business premises? If not, go for one because all your important documents could be lost in case of fire.

There is a bewildering and wide array of safes and safety cupboards to select from. In order to buy the correct type of safe to meet your requirements, the first and most important aspect to consider is what do you intend to place in the safe and what kind of protection will these items require.

The three main categories of safes on basis of protection they offer are:

1. Security Safes – They are used for protection of your cash and valuables like jewellery or high value tools and equipment.
2. Fire Paper Safes - They are used for protection of all your crucial paper documents, files and records from any kind of fire damage.
3. Fire Data Safes - They are used for protection of key computer media including disks as well as back up tapes from fire damage.

On the basis of your storage needs and priorities, you can opt for a particular type of safes. It helps to seek advice of experts to make a proper decision.

When you are planning to buy a safe, it helps to know beforehand exactly where in your premises you are going to place it. Accordingly, its exact dimensions can be worked out.

In certain cases, safes will provide protection from more than just one category of products. For instance, there are safes from a unique combination range that will offer various types of protection in one single unit. To elaborate, some high end models can efficiently act as Security Safes; Fire Paper Safes, and Fire Data Safes – all rolled in one. In other words, they can be effectively employed to protect your cash, valuables, paper documents, records as well as disks and back up tapes from any kind of fire damage.

However you should go for these only after having considered the primary protection requirements and of course, your budget, which is another important factor. Understand the basic differences between the various categories of safes. Get more detail, and follow the pros and cons of each.