Frequently Asked Questions

Are there fire proof safes?

No. The fire safes that you find are "fire resistant" safes. There is no safe out there that can protect your valuables indefinitely against fire. Each fire resistant safe is tested against a fire and given an hourly rating at 350. They give little burglary protection, because they are easy to break into and they cannot have holes drilled into them to bolt them down.

Is a regular fire safe appropriate to store computer data?

No. A standard fire safe is tested and rated to keep the interior of the safe at 350 for a certain amount of time. Paper burns at 450. Media safes are tested and rated to keep the interior of the safe at 150 for a certain amount of time. Computer data will melt well before the interior of the safe reaches 150.

What is the difference between a burglary and fire safe?

A burglary safe has been tested and rated against an opening attack. A fire safe has been tested and rated against a fire. The following are a list of the U.L. Laboratory Rating Labels and their performance requirements:

Burglary Classification TL-15:

Signifies a combination-locked safe designed to offer a limited degree of protection against attack by common mechanical and electrical hand tools and any combination of these means. Has successfully resisted entry* for a net working time of 15 minutes when attacked with common hand tools, picking tools, mechanical or portable electric tools, grinding points, carbide drills and pressure applying devices or mechanisms.

Burglary Classification TL-30:

Signifies a combination-locked safe designed to offer a moderate degree of protection against attack by common mechanical and electrical tools and any combination of these means. Has successfully resisted entry* for a net working time of 30 minutes when attacked with common hand tools, picking tools, mechanical or portable electric tools, grinding points, carbide drills, pressure applying devices or mechanisms, abrasive cutting wheels and power saws.

Burglary Classification TRTL-30

Signifies combination locked safe designed to offer a moderate degree of protection against attack by common mechanical and electrical tools and cutting torches and any combination of these means. Has successfully resisted entry* for a net working time of 30 minutes when attacked with common hand tools, picking tools, mechanical or portable electric tools, grinding points, carbide drills, pressure applying devices or mechanisms, abrasive cutting wheels, power saws, impact tools and oxy-fuel gas cutting or welding torch (test gas limited to 1000 cubic feet combined total oxygen and fuel gas).

Burglary Classification TRTL-60

Signifies a combination-locked safe designed to offer a high degree of protection against attack by common mechanical and electrical tools and cutting torches and any combination of these means. Has successfully resisted entry* for a net working time of 60 minutes when attacked with common hand tools, picking tools, mechanical or portable electric tools, grinding points, carbide drills, pressure applying devices or mechanisms, abrasive cutting wheels, power saws, impact tools and oxy-fuel gas cutting or welding torch test gas limited to 1000 cubic feet combined total oxygen and fuel gas.

Burglary Classification TXTL-60

Signifies a combination locked safe designed to offer a high degree of protection against attack by common mechanical and electrical tools, cutting torches, high explosives and any combination of these means. Has successfully resisted entry* for a net working time of 60 minutes when attacked with common hand tools, picking tools, mechanical or portable electric tools, grinding points, carbide drills, pressure applying devices or mechanisms, abrasive cutting wheels, power saws, impact tools, oxy-fuel gas cutting or welding torch, nitroglycerin or other high explosives equivalent to not more than 4 ounces of nitroglycerin in one charge (entire test must not use more explosive than that equivalent to 8 ounces of nitroglycerin).

* Entry means for:
Safes classed TL-15 and TL-30 - Opening the door or making a 6 square inch opening entirely through the door or front face.

Safes classed TRTL-30 , TRTL-60, and TXTL-60 - Opening the door or making a 2 inch square opening entirely through the door or body.

Guide to Safe Labels - U.L. Fire Resistive Container Classifications

U.L. Label Type Class 150 - 4 hours (Insulated Record containers)

Maintain an interior temperature less than 150 F and an interior relative humidity less than 85% when exposed to fire as per the Standard Time Temperature Curve for 4 hours to 2000F. Successfully undergo all other requirements for the Fire Endurance Test**, the Explosion Hazard Test*, the Humidity Test**** and the Fire & Impact Test*** (separately or combined*****). Basically, no explosion through 30 minutes of exposure to a 2000 F fire, an immediate 30' drop test, and a standard reheating for 60 minutes to 1700.

U.L. Label Type Class 150 - 2 hours (Insulated Record containers)

Maintain an interior temperature less than 150 F and an interior relative humidity less than 85% when exposed to fire as per the Standard Time Temperature Curve for 3 hours to 1850F. Successfully undergo all other requirements for the Fire Endurance Test**, the Explosion Hazard Test*, the Humidity Test**** and the Fire & Impact Test*** (separately or combined*****). Basically, no explosion through 30 minutes of exposure to a 2000 F fire, 15 minutes of standard exposure to 1638 F, an immediate 30' drop test, and a standard reheating for 60 minutes to 1638F.

U.L. Label Type Class 150 - 1 hour (Insulated Record containers)

Maintain an interior temperature less than 150 F and an interior relative humidity less than 85% when exposed to fire as per the Standard Time Temperature Curve for 3 hours to 1700F. Successfully undergo all other requirements for the Fire Endurance Test**, the Explosion Hazard Test*, the Humidity Test**** and the Fire & Impact Test*** (separately or combined*****). Basically, no explosion through 30 minutes of exposure to a 2000 F fire, an immediate 30' drop test, and a standard reheating for 30 minutes to 1550F.

U.L. Label Type Class 350 - 4 hours (Fire resistant safes)

Maintain an interior temperature less than 350 F when exposed to fire as per the Standard Time Temperature Curve for 4 hours to 2000F.Successfully undergo all other requirements for the Fire Endurance Test**,the Explosion Hazard Test*, the Humidity Test**** and the Fire & Impact Test*** (separately or combined*****). Basically, no explosion through 30minutes of exposure to a 2000 F fire, 30 minutes of standard exposureto 1700 F, an immediate 30' drop test, and a standard reheating for 30 minutes to 1700F.

U.L. Label Type Class 350 - 2 hours (Fire resistant safes)

Maintain an interior temperature less than 350 F when exposed to fire as per the Standard Time Temperature Curve for 2 hours to 1850F. Successfully undergo all other requirements for the Fire Endurance Test**, the Explosion Hazard Test, the Humidity Test**** and the Fire & Impact Test*** (separately or combined*****). Basically, no explosion through 30 minutes of exposure to a 2000 F fire, 15 minutes of standard exposure to 2000 F, an immediate 30' drop test, and a standard reheating for 45 minutes to 1638F.

U.L. Label Type Class 350 - 1 hours (Fire resistant safes)

Maintain an interior temperature less than 350 F when exposed tofire as per the Standard Time Temperature Curve for 1 hours to 1700F. Successfully undergo all other requirements for the Fire Endurance Test**, the Explosion Hazard Test, the Humidity Test**** and the Fire & Impact Test*** (separately or combined*****). Basically, no explosion through 30 minutes of exposure to a 2000 F fire, an immediate 30' drop test, and a standard reheating for 30 minutes to 1550F.

U.L Tests

*Explosion Hazard Test

An empty sample is closed, locked and placed into a furnace preheated to 2000F. This temperature is maintained for 30 minutes (20 minutes for units rated 1/2 hour) and if no explosion results, the unit is allowed to cool without opening the furnace doors. Once cooled, the unit is opened, dismantled and examinations made regarding the heat insulating properties of the sample such as condition of interior finish, security of interior equipment, lock part fastenings, and any signs of undue transmission of heat or moisture.

**Fire Endurance Tests

After the units' contents are placed inside and in contact with the interior walls, the unit is closed, locked, and exposed to a uniformly distributed fire. The temperature of which is regulated and increased according to the Standard Time Temperature Curve summarized below. The fire is continued for the period required for the classification desired and allowed to cool without opening the furnace. The interior temperature is recorded throughout the test and during the subsequent cooling period until a definite drop is shown and must never exceed 150F or 350F as the case may be. Once cooled, the unit is opened, dismantled and its contents examined for usability. The units' locking mechanisms and part fastenings are examined for security and the interior examined for any visible evidence of undue heat transmission. Regular production units must again pass the Fire Endurance Test, 1 year after the first test or 1 year after production of the tested unit began.

Abbreviated Time Temperature Curve

***Fire & Impact Test

After the units' contents are placed inside and in contact with the interior walls, the unit is closed, locked and exposed to the Standard time as in the Fire Endurance Test for the period of time stated for that classification. Within two minutes, the unit is removed from the furnace and dropped 30' onto a large pile of brick on a heavy concrete base. After impact, the unit is examined for deformation, rupture of parts, damaged insulation, and any other openings into the interior of the unit. When sufficiently cooled for handling the unit is inverted, reheated for the time stated and allowed to cool without opening the furnace doors. Once cooled, the unit is opened, dismantaled and examinations made regarding the heat insulating properties of the sample such as usability of contents, condition of the interior finish, security of locks, part fastenings and any signs of undue transmission of heat or moisture.

**** Humidity Test

After pre-conditioning, the unit is heated for 12 hours to obtain an interior temperature of 705F and a relative humidity of 5015 percent. The unit must successfully maintain an interior relative humidity less than 85% during that part of the cooling period when the interior temperature is above 120F. Units are also examined for any signs of moisture penetration into the interior.

*****Combined Explosion Hazard - Impact test

At the manufacturer's option, both the Fire-Impact Test and the Explosion Hazard Test can be combined and conducted on one sample fire resistant safe or insulated record container as follows. The Explosion Hazard Test is first conducted. If no explosion results during 30 minutes at 2000F, the furnace temperatures are to be reduced to those of the Standard Time Temperature Curve and the fire continued for an additional 30 minutes for units to be rated 4 Hours, and for an additional 15 minutes for units to be rated 2 hours. No additional exposure is required for units to be rated 1 Hour. After exposure to the fire for the total period necessary for the classification desired, the furnace fire is to be extinguished and the test sample withdrawn. Within 2 minutes, the unit is dropped from 30' into the riprap of brick on a heavy concrete base, examined, reheated, and re-examined as per the requirements of the Fire And Impact Test.