How To Find The Best Fireproof Commercial Office Safes For Small Business

To secure their valuable small business assets, many owners are looking to purchase the best commercial fireproof safes. Office safes can be integral to protecting your valuables in the unfortunate case of a burglary or natural disaster. Reliable office safes help create a culture of safety in the workplace. However, you should not just go and buy the first, or the cheapest office safe you see at the store. Instead, there is a specific criteria you must check prior to making your purchase. If you are interested in the strategies to find the best fireproof commercial office safes for small business, continue reading.

Evaluate Storage Requirements

Evaluate the storage requirements your currently need. The best way to do this is to examine the materials you need to store. Within your safe, you should store your various business credit card information, any stock certificates you own, business contracts, and backup hard drives. If you have assets like cash or electronics on-hand, store them within your office space too. You should also consider devoting a space for employee W-2s, documents, and payroll files within a secure safe location as well. Evaluate how much space these materials will take up and look for a safe with more than enough room. Estimate your storage requirements prior to purchasing your office safe.

Consider Fire Rating

Consider the fire rating specific safes offer. Unlike other purchases your business will make, safes inform you of how long they will last in a fire. Balance the fire rating you accept with the importance of the materials you are storing. You also need to consider the likelihood that a fire will occur. Obviously, a fire is much more likely in a restaurant than a law firm. In addition, factor in the reliability of your local fire department and alarm systems to preform their needed functions. Fire ratings often protect beginning with protection against a 30 minute fire, and increase in fifteen minute increments until reaching two-hours. Most brands certify that two-hours is the longest contents could potentially be preserved. Consider the fire rating prior to choosing a safe for your small business.

Compare Burglary Ratings

Research the burglary ratings that chosen office safes advertise. Burglary rates are calculated by the thickness of safe walls and weight to determine overall protection. They additionally factor in whether you deploy a burglary alarm or not. There are several burglary ratings, the lowest, a B-Rate, recommends its security when storing assets of up to $10,000. B-Ratings have steel doors less than one-inch thick, and a body less than half of an inch thick. The highest burglary rating currently recognized is the UL TL-30×6. These weigh a minimum of 750 pounds, have electronic locks, and steel strong enough to handle 50,000 PSI. With burglary alarms, it is recommended to store assets worth over a million dollars in safes with these ratings. Business safes are a major portion of office security you need to know. Prior to making your purchase, compare the various burglary ratings that exist.

Find A Safe That Is Heavy Enough

You need to find a safe that is heavy enough for your business assets. Even if you do not need to store much, you need a safe that cannot be easily burglarized. Weight is often the best means of protection. Even with thick walls and complex locks, if safes can still be stolen, they are essentially worthless. For offices, the lightest safes are roughly fifty pounds. Only consider safes this light if the assets you are storing are easily replaceable. Depending on the rarity and value of your possessions office safes can weigh as much as 5,000 pounds. Obviously, safes that cost this much cost upwards of $10,000. However, if you are storing million dollar assets, it may be worth it. Before making your purchase, ensure you locate a safe that is heavy enough to adequately protect your assets.

Ask About Impact On Insurance

Prior to investing in complex safes, be aware of the insurance implications. Unfortunately, although safes are extremely expensive, certified, and reliable, many insurance providers do not always insure their contents. You likely will not be reimbursed for items like cash, jewelry, and gold even if you purchase the strongest, and most well-rated office safe. That being said, it may still be worth storing some valuables in lending institutions, where you know they are adequately protected. Before making your purchasing decision, consider how insurance will secure assets protected in your safe.

Many business owners with valuable assets are looking to purchase fireproof commercial office safes to protect their small business. The best safes greatly improve safety in the office. However, you should not just go and purchase the first safe you see. First you need to evaluate your storage requirements. Consider the specific safe’s fire and burglary rating. Look for a safe that is heavy enough. Furthermore, you need to find about your purchases impact on your business insurance. If you are interested in how to find the best fireproof commercial office safes for small business, consider the points mentioned above.