Choose a safe by what you need to protect and from what. Documents mainly need protection from fire, cash and jewellery mainly need protection from theft, and hard drives and flash disks need protection from heat and humidity. Size comes last: list what goes in, then add room to grow.
Which safe protects documents?
Title deeds, passports, certificates and contracts are hard to replace and easily destroyed by fire. A fire rated safe keeps the inside below the temperature at which paper chars for a stated time, commonly thirty, sixty or one hundred and twenty minutes.
Which safe protects cash and jewellery?
A burglary rated safe has thick steel, hardened plates around the lock and bolts on several sides. Graded safes are tested against tools for a set time. Shops and offices that take cash often add a deposit slot so staff can drop takings without opening the safe.
Which safe protects data?
Hard drives, backup tapes and flash disks fail at much lower temperatures than paper. They need a data safe or a media insert rated to keep the temperature and humidity low enough.
What lock should I choose?
Key locks need no battery but the key must be kept safe. Digital keypads let you change the code and many log openings. Biometric locks open by fingerprint. Offices often choose dual control, where two people are needed to open the safe.
Does a safe need to be bolted down?
Yes. A small safe that is not anchored can be carried away and opened elsewhere. We bolt safes to the floor or wall during installation.
How do I choose the right size?
Measure the largest item, such as a laptop, a file box or a document folder, and plan for more than you have today. Our team brings sizes and ratings to the survey. See our storage safes and pages for Nairobi and Mombasa.
