Safes

A broad scale of safe sizes is used in enterprise solutions based on the needs of individual departments with different operational activities. In large corporations, a combination of various types and sizes of safes is used, localised in a way that enables a high operational flexibility and, at the same time, meets the security standards of the organisation. There is nothing unusual about the supply of small compact safes, whether free-standing or built into the furniture, for the managerial staff to store important documents, as well as higher safety level safes to store cash.

The suitability of localisation is a frequently underestimated factor when procuring a safe. For this reason, we list a few recommendations and pieces of useful information.

General information

Safes can generally be classified into free-standing safes, built-in safes, and room-sized vaults.

There are several variants of locking mechanisms:

Locks with physical keys are well known and traditionally used for locking.

Mechanic combination lock is opened by input of the code pre-selected by the user. It eliminates the concern of keeping a key. The numerical combination is entered manually by mechanical rotation of the lock face sequentially into the correct positions.

Electronic locks have a very high safety standard and offer a convenient means of code input. The appropriate batteries are supplied with the safe.

Only those safes that meet the criteria prescribed by the corresponding standards can optimally protect and properly insure the valuables deposited inside. Strict and narrowly defined testing methods ensure the highest quality. Despite the fact that safes tested against door breakdown and not against fire, they still offer fire protection according to the DIN 4102 standard.

The appropriate size

The size basically depends on the objects intended for deposit to the safe. Valuables such as money, jewellery, bank books, bonds, company records, cameras and videocameras, etc., are often irreplaceable and should be stored in tested and insured safes. When selecting a safe, it is important to keep in mind that the storage requirements may grow in the future.

The appropriate localisation

Safes: choose a location which does not attract people's attention. Consider the conditions of the surroundings, such as temperature, air humidity, and check the maximum load on the floor. When installing the safe into furniture, take note of the maximum load on the structure and the correct anchoring of the safe (to the back wall or to the floor). Free-standing safes of small heights can be placed on a platform, making the manipulation of the lock more convenient.

Wall safes: suitable locations for installations of wall safes include spaces under staircases, where the walls are often thick. Chimneys are not appropriate locations for safes. The safes can be installed at a height which facilitates the manipulation of the locks.

Anchoring

All safes with mass less than 1000kg have to be anchored, according to the EN 1143-1 standard. During the installation into a floor, make sure that there is no piping or wiring under or behind the location of the installation. The safes should be anchored into a concrete foundation; anchoring into a concrete screed is insufficient. It is appropriate to assign the anchorage to trained staff. When insuring the safe, it is required to submit a certified statement about the correct and standard-abiding anchorage of the safe.

Transport

Apart from the type and localisation of the safe, it is advisable that the logistics aspect is considered as well, whether it is possible to transfer the safe to the desired location. The factors related to the transport of the safe from the transport vehicle to the specified location can significantly influence the cost. If multiple alternatives are available, selecting a more accessible location can reduce the costs.

It is best when the vehicle dispatching the safe can park close to an appropriate entrance. The transport route should contain as little stairs and other elevations as possible. When transferring a safe to other floors, it is advantageous to have a lift with the required load capacity. If not, the staircase has to be used and transfer of heavier safes may involve extra charges for the number of steps. The route should be wide and high enough to allow transport and rotation as well.

If transfer by a staircase is unavoidable, the deliverer should be informed about the type of staircase. The following are the most frequent types of staircases. Lay people are frequently unable to define the type of stairs.

• straight staircase, straight staircase with a landing
  
• staircase with a 90° turn
  
• spiral staircase with a 180° turn
  
• staircase with a 90° turn and a landing
  
• staircase with a 180° turn and a landing
  

The information about the height and type of staircase is important so that the appropriate set of tools can be chosen and the transport of the safe hence made easier.

So that the staircase is not damaged, it is in the customers' own interest to inform the deliverer about the material of the staircase (concrete, wood, marble, stone, carpet, etc.). If the deliverer is informed, the risk of damage drops significantly.

Our offer of safes can be found in the catalogue from Wertheim, a prestigious manufacturer of safes.