Buying a new safe for an office may seem like a straight-forward exercise, but there are several things that should be given careful consideration before committing to the purchase of a new office safe. Here are 5 of them:

What is the safe for?

This is an important starting point. Being clear on what is to be kept in the safe will help in making the right choice. For example safes are usually given an insurance rating that is used across the European insurance market and agreed by insurance companies. These ratings apply to the amount of insurance cover that can be obtained for things stored in the safe. These ratings rise from £6,000 in cash and £60,000 worth of valuables to £150,000 in cash and £1,500,000 in valuables with ratings in between. The Association of insurance Surveyors (AiS) are the United Kingdom body that gives accreditation to safes and many insurance companies will insist on a safe being AiS approved. Being clear on what’s going to be kept in the safe will therefore help with choosing the appropriately rated safe for insurance purposes.

Where is it to be located?

There’s no point in drawing up a list of requirements for an office safe and choosing one if it won’t fit into the available suitable space. Anywhere there is space available may not be the best place for a safe, for example outside the main entrance to a busy office where many people, including visitors, can see it being opened and observe the contents. By identifying the space available for the safe a lot of time can be saved in making a choice.

Who will use it?

Clarifying who will have access to the safe may help with identifying its location. For example, if it is only senior managers who are going to be able to access the safe it may not be best to locate it on the factory workshop floor.

What’s the budget?

It’s wise to ensure that the maximum amount available for the purchase of a safe is clear. This can save time, headaches and disappointment.

Fireproof or not?

Not all safes are fireproof and not all fireproof safes can offer total protection. Valuable but flimsy documents and storage devices may well suffer in a fire even if housed in a fireproof safe. For this reason it’s worth consulting a professional firm such as Secure Safe to be sure of choosing the right safe.