Types of Commercial Safes

As previously stated, there are many types of commercial safes on the market, available to meet the demands of businesses in various industries. Each type has various models that all have their own features and price points. It’s crucial to learn as much as you can about different forms of safes in order to make the best decision for your commercial property.   

• Burglary Safes: You may be thinking, aren’t all safes burglary safes? Technically, specific burglary safes have additional features that offer added protection against an attack. Burglary safes feature strong construction that is built to withstand typical methods that criminals use to get inside, such as cutting torches and power tools. Burglary safes are an effective deterrent in most cases. 
• Cash Depository Safes: Cash depository safes are very useful if your store is one that works with a lot of cash on hand daily, such as a retail establishment. It allows you to deposit cash to hold securely until you’re able to take it to the bank. Cash depository safes are a type of deterrent safe. 
• Under Counter Safes: Under counter safes are a type of cash safe that allows you to quickly and discreetly stow away volumes of cash to keep front-end cash levels low. Under counter safes can be installed easily near registers, without being able to be seen by customers on the front end. 
• Data Safes: Data safes protect crucial files from destruction and theft, including those on hard drives and other technology. They typically have a high fire-rating, which you can read more about below. Many companies use data safes to secure their past records. 
• High Security Safes: As their name suggests, high security safes provide high-level protection for your most crucial assets. If your company deals in expensive items or has a great deal of cash, such as those in the financial industry, a high security safe may be a wise investment. The best high security safes provide excellent protection against any form of theft or unauthorized access, while also allowing the owner and other authorized parties to easily access the safe. High security safes are constructed out of strong material that is resistant to torches and other threats. 

You also have options when it comes to the opening mechanism your safe has. Lock and key and combination locks, while still available, have fallen out of popularity in favor of more technologically advanced opening methods, such as electronic locks, keypads, and even fingerprint locks. 

Fire Ratings 

One of the most crucial considerations when determining which safe to have installed at your business is its fire rating. While you might be tempted to purchase a safe that is not fire rated for whatever reason, security professionals strongly discourage this course of action. That’s because your commercial property is more likely to suffer fire damage than theft. So, purchasing a safe that is specifically rated as fire-resistant is the smart choice to protect your assets, documents, and cash now and in the future. 

So, what does it mean for a safe to be fire-rated? A fire-rated safe has been tested in a laboratory and shown to resistant the heat of a fire for a set amount of time. There are different classes of fire-rated safes, depending on the amount of heat the safe has been shown to withstand and for how long. The exterior of the safe is built to absorb and repel the heat so that the interior stays below a certain temperature. The most commonly chosen fire-rated safes are class 350 safes, which are shown to withstand temperatures up to 350 degrees.   A professional locksmith with experience in safe installation can give you more information on the fire ratings of safes and help you choose which one is appropriate for what you need to store inside. 

Commercial Safe Installation

A professional locksmith is the perfect choice when it comes to choosing the right safe in terms of options and size, choosing the right place for it, and installing it so that the safe is integrated conveniently with the way your business operates. The locksmith will go over your options with you, taking into consideration your security goals and what you want to keep in the safe. When you’re searching for the right safe, it’s important to evaluate what it is specifically that you want to protect, where you want the safe to be placed, and who can access it. Answering these crucial questions can help guide you into making the appropriate choice.