If you run a business, you may have a lot of important documents and essential things you would like to protect. Especially these days, when the crime rate is increasing rapidly, you should invest in a quality safe that can protect your essentials.
Having a commercial safe is vital in protecting the irreplaceable and valuable assets that your organization relies on. Therefore, when you look for a safe, you need something that brings you a little peace of mind that your essentials are always safe even when you are not available at work.
In addition, you want to get the best value for your money and make sure you buy the right safe that gives you the level of protection you want. But while these devices are designed to protect things from theft and damage, not all products are built in the same way.
To ensure that you have the right solution for your business, here are a few essential tips to keep in mind when purchasing a commercial safe.
Size
There is no particular size of the commercial safe. It’s all about your needs and the important things you want to put in a safe.
However, it should be large enough to fit everything you store. For example, if you want to protect many things, you will need a larger safe with shelves inside. On the other hand, if it is just the money you want to put inside, then even a small unit will work for you.
Lock Type
While choosing a lock for your safe, you have many options. But the most significant decision you must make is to choose between a digital lock and a mechanical lock. A high-quality safe must have a combination lock that requires at least three digits to unlock the unit.
These locks can be opened manually or electronically. Electronic keys provide many high-tech features and are less likely to jam or rust. However, mechanical dial locks are machines that will be accessible to you during a power outage.
Cash Drop Safes
If you work in a business that aims to protect your money deposits, such as a grocery store or a restaurant, you may choose a safe with a drawer. Cash drop safes are specifically designed to deposit money.
These safes are usually placed near the cash register to limit the amount of money the store has to change. Also, these units allow employees to deposit cash or documents in space securely. However, anything set in the safe can be accessed through the main door.
UL Ratings
The UL (Underwriter’s Laboratory) standard is the governing body of the safety standards. These can bear frequent attacks from thieves. These safes provide excellent protection as they contain a high-security alarm system. They can give you enough time for the police and other law enforcement agencies to arrive and prevent thieves from getting safe.
Also, UL rated these for their ability to resist common attacks such as picking, punching, and piercing. The rating system can be confusing, and understanding the difference is essential. Yet, it is divided into two categories: burglary and fire safety.
Fire Safety
Protection from fire is another important factor to consider when purchasing a commercial safe for your business. This helps determine if the safe can protect your items from heat and flames, and if so, for how long.
Restaurants or overseas manufacturing industry operates with a high risk of fire. Therefore, buying a fire-rated commercial safe for such businesses is important. Safes are tested for stability, collision, explosion resistance, etc.
It can keep your business essentials safe from fire, even in extreme cases, for about 45 minutes to 2 hours. Safe ratings are sorted over time. They range from safes that can resist about half an hour in fires up to 1550 degrees to safes resisting up to four hours of fires up to 2000 degrees.
Burglary Protection
The first thing you need to consider when comparing safes is the burglary rating on the safe. These ratings assume you will want to take more safety measures to protect items of more excellent value.
Therefore, at the lowest end of the spectrum, a B-rated filter without a burglar alarm is limited to protect up to $5000 worth of valuables. On higher terms, the UL version of the TRTL-30X6, following with a burglary alarm, protects valuables worth a million dollars or more.
Conclusion
Commercial safes prove to be handy for securing your precious items. These can be important documents, valuables, cash, or other accessories in your office. You can choose the safe according to the level of security you want in your office.
Therefore, you should know the total number of items you want to save and choose a flexible safe accordingly.