Fireproof safes are a type of safe which have been manufactured and designed to protect its contents from high temperatures or even actual fire.

Fire safes and fire chests are rated by the amount of time that they can withstand the extreme temperatures that a fire produces without the internal temperature rising above a level that will damage the contents. Fireproof safes range anywhere from 30 minutes up to two hours protection.

You will need to choose a suitable fire resistant safe for the contents that you will be storing. Paper, CDs, DVDs, USB memory sticks and magnetic media all get damaged by heat at different temperatures.

Sentry Safe are a well known global fire safe brand and offer fireproof safes which are full tested by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) who are the largest independent non-profit testing laboratory. UL standards are found to be more severe than those in the EU or Far-East testing facilities.

The UL standard requires that the safes be tested in the following way: ½ hour fire rating to 843°C, 1 hour fire rating to 927°C and 2 hour fire rating to 1010°C. Meanwhile the interior temperature must remain below 177°C as paper chars at 232°C.

In addition the UL standard also requires that fire safes and fire chests pass a flash fire test to ensure that no internal or external rupturing occurs. Finally under the UL standard, the units are drop tested to ensure that they can withstand the impact of falling through a floor.

We have given you quick links to our categories which protect particular contents below:

Waterproof safes are also available and a new product on the market. Sentry Safe offer waterproof safes and these are ETL verified (independent body). Each of the Sentry products which pass this waterproof rating have been tested by being completely submerged with up to 5cm of water above the uppermost surface. The amount of water entering the unit to pass must remain below 0.5 grams which is approximately 8 drops in order to pass the test.

Fire Safe Check List
How long do you wish the contents to be protected for? 30 minutes to 2 hours protection is available.
Are you situated on the first floor or above? Look for a safe that has been drop tested.
Would loss of the files be catastrophic to you or your business? Look for an independantly tested safe.

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