Top Considerations When Buying A Safe For Financial Institutions

Financial Institutions are known for holding extremely valuable funds and documents for their customers. The crux of security at a financial institution is a solid safe, however, they are not a one size fits all option.

There are many things to consider before ordering a safe and getting it professionally installed. Here are some of the most important factors involved.

Within Financial Institutions, the Location of a Safe Matters

High security safes are very heavy and can weigh thousands of pounds; therefore, they need a solid place to sit. We suggest keeping your safe on ground level if at all possible and out of sight of your customers.

Installing your safe behind a closed door also provides an additional layer of protection, especially if you are handling an extensive amount of cash. The Security Center provides a free survey and consultation to discuss best locations for proper safe installation.

The Size of the Safe

The dimensions of the safe you plan on purchasing play a role in its installation. It is important to keep in mind the size of your door frames or any obstacles when purchasing a new safe. A safe that is too large may not fit through a standard door frame, requiring additional construction costs for placement. On the contrary, a safe that is too small may have limited interior storage space.

The Security Center can customize any safe with dimensions that work best for you and your institution. In addition, we can equip all safes with customized interior lockers and electronic locks that best suit your needs.

Fire and Burglary Rating

All safes come with a fire or burglary rating that determines how long a safe will hold up against fire or attack. A safe is awarded a TL rating if it can withstand a powerful attack from an experienced U.L expert using drills, sledgehammers, power saws, etc. The safe has a TL-15 or TL-30 rating if it took the expert fifteen or thirty minutes of tool time on the safe. A TR rated safe is not only tool resistant, but torch resistant as well. Content value guidelines for a U.L listed TL-15 safe is that it can hold up to $200,000 while a TL-30 can hold up to $375,000. A TL-30×6 is rated on all six sides of the safe and can hold up to $500,000 while a TRTL-30×6 can hold $1,000,000 or more.

High security safes can have different U.L fire ratings based on the material used within the safe. Fire ratings are based on the interior of the safe maintaining a temperature at or below 350 degrees during a 1,200-degree fire. For example, a safe that has a U.L. 120 minute rating means the interior of the safe should maintain a temperature at or below 350 degrees for at least two hours.

As premier providers of physical and electronic security, the team at The Security Center, Inc. will be able to help your institution select a fire and burglar resistant safe that best suits your needs.

Trust The Security Center, Inc. for Your Safe Installation

If it’s time for your bank or business to install a new safe, go with the trusted professionals of The Security Center, Inc. We install, maintain and provide information about all of the security products we represent. Contact us today to speak with one of our security experts.