How To Choose A Safe For Your Business

Every business has sensitive data and critical information to protect — yours included.

In the event of a burglary, thieves could access precious files and leave you in a vulnerable position. Buying a safe is a smart investment to keep documents, cash and valuables out of the wrong hands, and a huge range of models are available to suit different budgets.

Regardless of your reasons, you may find choosing the right safe difficult. To help make the buying process easier, our experts have put together some key tips below …

Understand what you want to keep safe

Perhaps you only plan to hide files or hard drives in your safe. Perhaps you keep cash on the premises and want to protect it in the event of a burglary. Whatever you have in mind, shop around to find safes of the right size first.

Don’t just invest in the first safe you see in a local store or online. You have to make sure you know what items you want to store inside it, and ensure any model you choose can accommodate them all.

You don’t want to spend a lot of money only to find you can’t store everything you need to!

Take measurements

Most business-owners hide their safes in discreet places, such as behind a painting, in a cupboard or in another inconspicuous spot. It makes burglars’ work harder and may even put them off altogether if the safe’s out of sight.

It’s vital to pick out a position in your office for the safe before you buy it. Take measurements and match these to any models that catch your eye. Websites usually provide full dimensions to help make your decision easier.

Pick a reliable lock type

The type of lock is a huge factor in a safe’s value. Keyed locks are traditional but offer less security, though they still remain popular with many small businesses.

However, combination locks and electronic locks are more secure. Yes, remembering a code for either of these may be trickier than keeping a key hidden in a safe place, but they demand greater effort from would-be thieves.

Just be careful where you store the code to an electronic lock or combination. Don’t leave it written on a piece of paper in your desk drawer or on a post-it stuck to your computer: you might as well just leave the safe open for the burglars instead!

Spend time researching safes that fit within your budget. Browse review websites or customer feedback on sites like Amazon, which enable buyers to leave honest insights. These can help you find the perfect safe for your exact specifications with minimal hassle.

Know your Ratings

Safes carry ratings based on the level of protection they provide against forced entry.

TL ratings apply to safes that can resist various cutting and mechanical tools for a set period of time. A combination lock safe carrying a solid TL rating will help to keep the contents more secure than one without.

A safe with a B rating features walls at least ¼ inch thick and doors no less than ½ inch thick. C-rated safes have steel walls a minimum of ½” thick and doors with a density of one inch. Locks will feature on both kinds of safe.

Study fire ratings

The fire rating on a safe dictates how much protection it offers your contents in case of a fire. Different ratings are available, based on their resistance to high temperatures, lasting one, two or three hours.

If you invest in a safe, make sure it has a good fire rating. You may be unable to get the contents out before the flames have been extinguished, and you want a safe that will protect its interior for as long as necessary.

At A.D.I Lock & Key, our expert locksmiths in Sacramento can help you gain access to your safe if you lose the key / code, install security systems and more.

If you want to know more, just pick up the phone and call us now!