(03) 8742 3633

Unit 19/80 Mills Rd, Braeside VIC

United Security Safe Rating System

At United Security, we aim to take the guess work out of choosing the right safe for you, for this reason, we have devised a simple method (Safe Rating System) to assist with separating safes into different "grades" or categories.

With so many safes on the market today, from new products to used safes, it can be overwhelming to understand the different types and ratings of safes from, UL (Underwriters laboratories) in the USA to ECB.S ( European Certification boards security,fire & safety) and all others in between.
At United Safes, we make it easy to understand which safe is right for your needs by “grading” safes in an “easy to understand language”. We do this by grading safes from Level 1 through to Level 7. (Level 7 being the highest rating given to any safe available today)

Level 1

Generally speaking, this type of safe is designed to protect against fire and as such contains high amounts of fire resisting materials which are typically “soft” and quite easy to penetrate. COST: APPROX 5k

Level 2

Typically have a door and body made of mild steel from 3 mm to 10 mm, without any hardened material within door or body. COST: APPROX 5k – 25k

Level 3

Construction of door may contain hard plate protecting the vital components of the door locking mechanism, body could be either mild steel or concrete.COST: APPROX 25k – 50k

Level 4

Door & body are now of a composite material (more that one product combined) generally, concrete body of a medium strength and door of similar quality. Re locking devices/s are now standard (possible glass re locking plate) to vital areas for locking components.
COST: APPROX 50k – 70k

Level 5

TDR (Torch & drill resisting) doors & bodies are now standard. Concrete is now of a high strength, glass or similar re locking devices are standard, hardened materials places strategically within door & possibly body to resist attack, typically door thickness is around 80 mm
COST: APPROX 70k – 100k

Level 6

AA (Anti Arc) in doors are now possible, TDR is now a minimum, other materials including EDR, Adlox etc.
COST: APPROX 100k – 250k

Level 7

Highest quality safe available today, could be new or used.
COST: APPROX 250 K +

Converting "Cash" ratings into level ratings

“Cash ratings” is a term used by safe companies around the world to provide an approx. figure, both safe and insurance companies generally collaborate together to provide a figure which may “suggest” an insurable cash/value rating in an unsupported (no alarms) environment. The figures can vary dramatically between safe suppliers.

We hope this simple process above provides you with the information required to make an informed decision when next time you need to purchase a safe.As always, please consult with your insurance company to confirm if the safe you have chosen is sufficient to provide the level of cover required.

Below is a list of companies that provide testing facilities to the safe and lock companies around the world.

Generally speaking, safes can be either tested for thief or Fire resistance. Each test house will have many levels of both fire and theft resistance with each category designed to meet or surpass a predetermined outcome. These tests generally start with a basic cash ratting of say $2’000.00 up to $250’000.00 +.

Fire testing is generally measured with a combination of time and temperature generally followed by a drop test of up to 10 meters.

Safe locks are also tested, they also have a grading system again based on some predetermined testing by the agency conducting the testing.

  • ABIS ( Association of Burglary Insurance Surveyors ) GB
  • AiS ( Association of Insurance Surveyors ) GB
  • UL ( Underwriters Laboratories ) USA
  • ECB.S ( European Certification Boards Security, Fire & Safety ) EU
  • SP ( Technical Research Institute of Sweden ) SBSC
  • VdS ( The Authority for Safety and Security ) Germany
  • CNPP ( Centre National de Prevention et de Protection) France
  • JIS ( Japanese Industrial Standard )
  • SBSC ( Swedish Fire and Safety Certification )
  • AS/NZS ( Australian / New Zealand Standard )
safe rating system

Safe Types

Fire-Resisting Safes

A fire-resistant safe is a typically a safe that is designed to protect its contents from high temperatures or actual fire. Fire resistant safes are usually rated by the amount of time they can withstand the extreme temperatures a fire produces, while not exceeding a set internal temperature, e.g., less than 350 °F (177 °C) over 30 minutes. Models are typically available between half-hour and four-hour duration.

Theft Resisting Safes

A fire-resistant safe is a typically a safe that is designed to protect its contents from high temperatures or actual fire. Fire resistant safes are usually rated by the amount of time they can withstand the extreme temperatures a fire produces, while not exceeding a set internal temperature, e.g., less than 350 °F (177 °C) over 30 minutes. Models are typically available between half-hour and four-hour duration.

P: 03 8742 3633

sales@unitedsafes.com
service@unitedsafes.com​

Unit 19 / 80 Mills Rd, Braeside Victoria 3195

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