If you’re thinking of buying a safe for your home or business, you’re probably asking yourself a couple of questions.
One of those questions might well be ‘Do I really need a fireproof safe’.
Let’s dive in, and see who really needs the added protection a fireproof safe gives, and who can get by without a fireproof safe.
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Table of Contents
Fireproof Safe – Who Needs One?
Well, first off, lets do a quick list of the people who really need a fireproof safe.
- People with valuables that can’t be replaced
- People who store important documents and records on paper/USB
- Businesses that store important documents and records on paper/USB
- Businesses in industries that are more susceptible to fire risk
- Anyone who wants extra peace of mind
You’ve noticed that last on the list is ‘anyone who wants extra peace of mind’.
If the risk of fire in your property or business concerns you, then you need a fireproof safe.
What A Fireproof Safe Won’t Do
Most fireproof safes will have a rating.
You’ll have seen the same type of thing with doors – some door for instance, are tested and rated to a certain amount of time before fire will penetrate it and get through it.
A fireproof safe will be the same.
A fireproof safe will offer protection for the contents of that safe for the duration published with the safe. Through thorough testing, these times have been tested and verified by independent testing houses.
For example this safe here has a 60 minute rating at 923 degrees celcius. Meaning, the contents of the safe will remain safe up enduring temperatures of up to 923c for up to 60 minutes.
After this time, or above this temperature, the safe will not offer protection for the contents.
Do A Fire Risk Audit
So I said in a previous article that before you go ahead and invest in a home safe or a safe for your business, you really should start from the outside in.
Meaning, start looking at your security arrangements before anyone even gets near a safe in your premises.
The same can be said for fireproof safes.
It would be totally remiss of me not to talk about the benefits of doing a fire risk assessment and having a fire safety plan for you and your family, before buying a fireproof safe.
Start by doing the most important things of all.
Never mind any property you want protecting in a safe from fire, they are no good to you if you succumb to a fire yourself.
So, if you haven’t done it recently, go and check all your smoke detectors in your house or business by pressing that little button.
And if you don’t have any smoke detectors? Go and buy some, and install them in your property ASAP.
We recommend the Fire Angel Smoke Detectors for your home, they are cheap, easy to install and they’ll be here tomorrow if you’re a Prime customer.
Next, go and check all the basics:
- Overloading of plug sockets, check and unload
- RCD box condition and age
- Kitchen electrical items condition and age
- If you have a tumble dryer, Google the make and model and ensure it’s not under a recall
- Candle safety and placement
- Electrical heaters age and condition
It’s not much to ask, and will only take you a few minutes, but the main point I want to put across here; check your smoke detectors and if you don’t have any, you need some and you should go out and buy them today.
Alternative To A Fireproof Safe
So if you don’t buy a safe that is fireproof, you can buy a fire resistant bag that can be placed inside of your safe.
Simply pop your valuables or documents inside one of these, and they will keep your items safe against the risk of fire for a period of time. These bags come in different sizes to fit into your safe and for different sized items, and they are relatively cheap, as you can see from this one below.
- ✔️FIRE PROOF & WATER RESISTANT-Made of Fiberglass + Aluminum Foil, which is two supreme fire retardant fiberglass material so as to keep your valuables away from fire.100% fire proof guarantee !
- ✔️LARGE CAPACITY-Larger than A4 paper, but it’s also universal size, which could keep your important documents and valuables such as cash, bank file, marriage license and even jewelry in all-round safe place
Do I Need A Fire Proof Safe?
Ultimately it’s up to you.
It’s down to your budget, your acceptance of risk and your peace of mind.
If you want that extra peace of mind, a fire proof safe will give that to you and protect the contents of the safe in the event of a fire up to a certain temperature and up to a certain timescale.
If you have paperwork in your safe, like deeds for a property, old stocks and bond certificates, and things like that, then it’s definitely recommended that you purchase a fire proof safe.
Links & Comments
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Comments, questions? Please use the comments section below, I’d love to hear your questions and comments on fire proof safes below.
