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With the pandemic still causing disruption and financial upset to communities all over the world, many Americans are increasingly beginning to rely on their savings to survive, with many more purchasing personal safes to keep their precious, hard earned money close at hand. However, there are a few things to consider if you’re thinking about buying a personal safe:

General considerations for a personal safe:

While it may seem obvious, a personal safe should be capable of doing exactly what it says it will: keep your personal items safe. Whether its money, documents or other valuable items being locked within, if the safe can be compromised by fire or theft, then it’s virtually worthless.
The UL (Underwriters Laboratories) is a leading, global product safety certification organization who have been performing rigorous tests on thousands of personal and commercial safes for the past 80 years, and you should always check the UL rating of a safe before purchase. For more information about UL ratings, speak to a local safe supplier who can guide you through the categories.

How do the UL test personal safes?

While wearing full, protective bodysuits, the professional technicians from the
Underwriters Laboratories place a personal safe into a furnace chamber for 30 minutes to help them assess its effectiveness in protecting the documents or cash stored within. If the contents remain undamaged after 30 minutes, the technicians will increase the temperature and humidity in the furnace chamber, and heat the safe again. If the personal safe passes each test conducted by the UL technicians (which also includes theft testing in which wrenches, power saws and nitroglycerine are used to try and infiltrate the safe), and the assets within remain undamaged, then it passes their test requirements and is given a UL rating.
 
Top tips for ensuring that your personal belongings are as safe as can be:


The following 4 tips should help you make a more informed decision when choosing a safe to store your personal, valuable items in:

Check for a fire protection rating

Personal safes that are UL listed will have been tested for the level of protection they offer in the event of a fire, and you should always talk to your safe supplier or locksmith about which rating you should opt for. A safe that has a one-hour rating, means that it can withstand up to 1,300 degree Fahrenheit heat for up to an hour before its contents may be compromised.

Ensure your safe is UL certified

Fire ratings are essential, but if your chosen safe also has a UL certification mark then you can be sure that it’s gone through a series of other important tests to check its efficiency and that it meets regulatory standards, too.

Check the weight of the safe

The heavier a safe is, the less likely a burglar would be able to lift it up and take it out of your home.

Carefully consider where you place it in your home

If your home should fall victim to a fire, you can decrease the risk of your safe falling through the floor by placing it in the basement.

To help keep your cash or important documents safe, especially in these uncertain economic times, call in to your local safe suppliers (which oftentimes includes your local locksmith) to discuss your options in more detail.

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