1-877-611-LOCK (5625)
Allied Lock & Safe in San Jose, CA has provided safe service, safe sales and safe installation for over 30 years. Allied Lock & Safe has a safe showroom in Silicon Valley and also offers safes for home safes and business safes online www.AlliedLockSafe.com.
How to buy a safe
With so many choices, Allied Lock & Safe offers every safe manufacturer in the world, although we highly recommend Amsec for most applications, it can be a daunting task to figure out how to buy a safe without the guidance of a security professional. Most people do not want to go into a safe store and start asking silly questions when they know nothing about safes. If you have a silly question just email me at AlliedLock@AlliedLockSafe.com I will be happy to answer any questions about safes, silly or not.
The first question is what are you placing in the safe?
Media Safe
Document Safe
Jewelry safe or Gold safe
When choosing a safe the most trusted ratings come from Underwriters Laboratories.
About UL safe listings and ratings
Underwriters Laboratories® is an independent product safety certification organization that has been testing products and writing standards for safety for more than a century. UL evaluates more than 19,000 types of products, components, materials and systems annually with 21 billion UL Marks appearing on 72,000 manufacturers’ products each year. UL’s worldwide family of companies and network of service providers includes 62 laboratory, testing and certification facilities serving customers in 99 countries.
Our mission: working for a safer world since 1894
- To promote safe living and working environments by the application of safety science and hazard-based safety engineering
- To support the production and use of products which are physically and environmentally safe and to apply our efforts to prevent or reduce loss of life and property
- To advance safety science through research and investigation
- To concentrate our efforts and resources on public safety in those areas where we can make valuable contributions
- To work with integrity and a focus on quality to enhance the trust conveyed by our certification marks
- To charge fair prices that allow us to meet our obligations, sustain our growth, and invest in safety science and education
- To invest in our people and encourage our people to invest in themselves
- To be a good example of corporate citizenship and social responsibility
Where is the safe going?
Residential safes are the basic need of every home for simply storing your passport and emergency cash. Let us start at the beginning, plastic boxes. As I am sure you have seen one of these plastic boxes with a basic lock designed to protect your documents for 30 minutes in a fire. Of course the plastic is designed to melt away and under the plastic is a mortar designed to withstand fire. These boxes also are available with a high security key, usually for $20-$30 more than the basic key. A waterproof seal is available and is really popular as most know that if there is a fire it is usually followed by water from the Firemen putting it out. The advice I give you on a sealed safe is to place moisture adsorbing packets in the safe or you will have mold.
The question that arises at almost every safe purchase is, Is 30 minutes of fire protection on a safe enough?
When purchasing a safe a security professional specializing in safes should help you think logically, are natural instinct is to just purchase the best and that is the best we can do or purchase the least expensive that will fit valuables. A security professional specializing in safes should be able to provide you the most value of a safe possible.
The 30 minute fire protection in a safe is a good example. While anyone at Allied Lock can look at any safe and deduct how long it might hold up in a fire, the average person can not. That is why we use UL listings. There are many listings that rate safes unfortunately most have been corrupted by big business and for a price the label or rating can be purchased without passing any extensive testing. A two hour rating in one country may actually equal a 30 minute UL rating.
What we have to keep in mind is the fuel around the safe and its ability to heat the safe beyond its design. If the safe is sitting on a concrete slab in a one story house and not next to any spectacular fuel a 30 minute rating should suffice as the temperature will not be sustained long enough to warrant a longer rated safe. However if it is an old two story house with 50 year old electrical wiring and the probability of a fire and another story of fuel may easily justify at least a 1 hour fire rating. The maximum fire rating on widely available safes are 2 hours and a normal fire would run out of fuel around the safe before then.
As we pass the plastic box the next stop is the metal box, not quite a safe due to its lack of security. The metal box should provide a little more security but usually the metal is so thin that it offers very little security.
The goal for residential security is to get you into a UL LIsted Residential Security Container or RSC rated safe. This rated safe should provide most homes with enough protection that do not have an excessive amount of cash or jewelry. The Amsec BF1512 is America’s bread and butter when it comes to safes and offers a good 30 minute fire protection and an RSC rating.
Last but not least we recommend an electronic safe dial over a traditional mechanical safe dial.
As you get older your eyes are less forgiving and the safe dials on a quality safe are not forgiving. Allied Lock & Safe sells 90% of there new safes with an electronic safe dial at the customers request and converts hundreds of traditional safe dials to electronic a year for the ease of use. The battery is located on the outside of the safe and the reliability is matched to that of a traditional dial. The cost adds around $150 to the safe for a quality electronic lock. All of the safes must be bolted down as if they can be loaded on an appliance dolly and dismantled offsite with the luxury of time any safe can be opened regardless of security rating. The cost of delivery and blot down on a single story home should be around $165 for safes under 300 lbs. $265 for safes over 300 lbs. and a minimum of $500 if upstairs.
How to choose a safe for your business
The rotary hopper is the most common business safe allowing important items such as cash and checks to be deposited by anyone without having access to the combination or key.
For more security and to meet the demands of commercial use a B rate container is necessary or for even more security a C rated container.
AMSEC “B” and “C” Rate security chests are designed to provide secure storage at an economical price. In addition to meeting the requirements of The Insurance Offices Manual of Burglary Insurance, these units offer an appearance and many features similar to AMSEC’s higher rated TL-15 models.
Door:
- 1″ (“C” Rate), or 1/2″ (“B” Rate) steel pry-resistant recessed door.
- U.L. listed Group II key changeable lock, with relock and 1 million possible combinations.
- Additional spring loaded relocking device, activated by a punching attack.
- Locks and relocks protected by a large carburized hardplate.
- A handle activated locking mechanism consisting of three 1″ chromed steel locking bolts. (five in BLB and BLC4024 models).
- Solid steel full length dead bar prevents door removal if hinges are removed during a forced entry attempt.
- Adjustable ball bearing hinges.
Body:
- 1/2″ continuously welded (“C” rate) or 1/4″ (“B” Rate) solid steel bodies.
- Body reinforcing frame gives the appearance of 1″ thick walls to discourage attack.
- Adjustable shelves.
- Attractive Gray textured finish. Other colors available.
- Custom sizes, interior options and high security features available.
- Left swing door optional.
After RSC rated safes, B rated safes and C rated safes comes a TL-15 & TL-30 for large amounts of cash and jewelry
CDXE2020TL-30 Composite Body and Plate Door
DXE1818TL-15 Plate Body and Door
AMSEC TL-15 and TL-30 U.L. listed Money Chests qualify for Mercantile & Broadform Insurance Class ER (TL-15) and F (TL-30) with a bank rating of BR (TL-15) and G (TL-30). AMSEC Money Chests offer the highest level of security available with many outstanding features and a wide range of options.
Finally there is a X6 for the ultimate in security. This safe has hardplate on all 6 sides and is very difficult to break into as there is no soft spot.
Original TL30x6 Jewelers Safe
The market leader in jewelers’ safes. The Original TL30X6 Jewelers Safe is by far the best high security safe in its class. Protected on all six sides, this safe serves as a fortress to a jewelers’ diamonds, gold, precious stones, and other valuables. Because criminals fear this safe, many other businesses like retail stores, antique shops, and banks have also made Original’s TL30X6 the foundation of their security system. With unmatched quality created by a team of the world’s finest craftsmen, the Original TL30X6 Jewelers Safe stands alone as the premier safe to have in high security.
- UL Rated TL30x6
- Six Sided Protection
- Burglary Resistant – Protects against tools, hammers, chisels, wedges, drills, and explosive attacks
- Fire Resistant – 350 Degree, two-hour Fire Resistant Rating
- Safe Door – 6.75 inches thick, constructed of high strength composite materials, including a proprietary super alloy in the plate that surrounds the inner door lining
- Safe Body – Constructed of same composite materials with overall thickness of 3.5 inches
- Bolt Work – 1.5 inch diameter hardened steel fixed and moving bolts.
- Dual Locking – UL Rated Group 2M Combination Lock and High Security Key Lock.
- Locking Mechanism – Protected with a random relocking system. A tempered glass trigger will activate the relocking system in the event the safe is attacked.
- Options Available – Right handle door, private interior compartments, electronic locks, extra shelves, customizations.
Features:
Door:
- DXE and CDXE models are TL-15 rated constructed of 3/4″ thick solid steel plate.
- DXF and CDXF models are TL-30 constructed of 1-3/4″ thick laminated steel with a special hardened drill resistant plate.
- Oil impregnated bronze bearing hinges.
Body:
- DXE models: consist of 1/2″ thick steel plate (100,000 P.S.I. minimum tensile strength). All external seams are beveled and continuously welded.
- DXF models: consist of 3/4″ thick steel plate (75,000 P.S.I. minimum tensile strength). All external seams are beveled and continuously welded.
- CDXE and CDXF models: consist of 3-1/4″ thick body constructed of inner and outer steel plates enclosing a high density composite material.
- Shelf strips installed allowing shelf adjustment. Shelves optional.
Locking Mechanism:
- U.L. listed Group II key changeable combination lock, with relock and 1 million possible combinations.
- Dual auxiliary spring loaded relocking device, activated by a punching attack.
- Locks and relocks protected by a large proprietary drill shattering composite hardplate.
- A handle activated locking mechanism consisting of two 1″ chromed steel locking bolts.
- Five boltwork sizes allow AMSEC to build units from 10″ (10-1/2″ for DXE/DXF) to 88″ high, widths from 12″ to 41″.
- Solid steel dead bar prevents door removal if hinges are removed during a forced entry attempt.
- Compact locking mechanism and boltwork cover allow for optional door mounted coin racks.
Hinges:
- Fabricated from high strength steel with precision machined alloy dowel pins.
- Oil impregnated bronze bearing assures easy opening doors and reduced maintenance.
- Vertical height adjustment.
- Finish: Available in Black, Slate Blue, Parchment or the standard Gray textured finish.
OPTIONS:
- Spyproof dial
- Key lock dial
- Coin racks
- Managers lockers
- Interior lockers
- Interior drawers
- Adjustable shelves
- Group 1 and 1R locks
- Electronic locks
- Access Control Systems
- Key-Op locks
- Dual combination locks (some models)
- 144 hour timelock
- 15 minute time delay lock
- External day lock
- Claddings
- Anchor bolt assembly
- Left swing door
- Internal rotary hopper
- Internal deposit slot
- Internal deposit chutes
- Hidden compartments
- Modular alarm
- Hold up duress alarm
- Special sizes
- Custom colors
For complete safe sales, safe service & safe installation solutions in San Jose, the Slicon Valley & the San Francisco Bay Area call or visit the Safe store.
Allied Lock & Safe is located in Silicon Valley San Jose, CA 1122 Saratoga Ave San Jose, CA 95129 (click for directions and maps).
Call today for free estimate 877-611-LOCK (5625).
Visit are website www.AlliedLockSafe.com for more information
Ten things you did not know about UL’s safe testing
- The best safecrackers in the business never steal a penny. They work for UL.
- UL has been testing and certifying safes for more than 80 years. The first safe tested for burglary resistance was in 1923 and the first bank vault in 1925.
- Chisels, wenches, screwdrivers, power saws, cutting torches, crowbars, abrasive cutting wheels, jackhammers, even specified amounts of nitroglycerin are just a few of the “tools” UL technicians use during a safe attack. The idea is to test safes to worst-case scenarios. They use tools that could be found at any construction site or hardware store. They also analyze blueprints as if the burglar might have blueprints of the design and attack its weakest points to evaluate the safe for certification.
- UL’s safe attack tests are conducted by a two-person crew. The object is to create an opening large enough to withdraw “valuables” (anywhere from 2- to 6-square-inches on a safe and up to 96-square-inches on a vault), activate the locking mechanism so the door opens or to cut as many bolts from the door as necessary to pry it open before the time specified in the rating requirement expires.
- Safes are rated for their resistance to attack against specific tools for a set period of time. There are a dozen different ratings, everything from ATM machines, to gun safes to bank vaults. For example, a safe that bears a Class TRTL-15×6 rating, which might be found in a jewelry store, should resist a hand tool and torch attack for a minimum of 15 minutes. A TRTL-30×6-rated safe, which would protect important documents or store money, should withstand an attack for 30 minutes. The ultimate safe rating — a TXTL60 — should withstand an hour’s worth of attack that includes the use of 8 ounces of nitroglycerin.
- Because of the size and weight of certain safes and vault doors, it is not always practical to have the product shipped to UL’s laboratory locations. UL’s burglary protection staff has traveled to destinations such as Japan, France, Israel, England, Finland, Taiwan and India.
- In addition to burglary protection ratings, UL also rates safes for their fire resistance protection. Class 350 safes protect paper documents, Class 150 safes protect magnetic tape and photographic film, while Class 125 safes protect floppy disks. In addition to the Class Rating, safes obtain an hourly rating for fire resistance — anywhere from 30 minutes to four hours.
- Another cool test UL runs on safes is an impact test. This test simulates a safe falling though multiple stories of a building — resulting from a fire that has weakened the structure. After the safe is heated to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit in a furnace, it’s raised three stories and dropped onto a pile of bricks. In order to meet the requirement, the safe can’t pop open. Temperatures inside can’t rise to above 300 degrees Fahrenheit and sample papers left inside have to be readable.
- The specialized suits you sometimes find technicians wearing are not just for show. Their entire ensemble, including protective coat, helmet and gloves, protects the crew against the adverse effects of sparking. After all, safety can’t be taken for granted, even within the walls of UL.
- Safes are just one of the 19,000 product categories that UL tests and certifies. While UL’s burglary protection team cracks combinations, shatters glass and fires .44-caliber bullets at body armor, other UL engineers and technicians keep busy testing everything from TVs, coffee makers and holiday light strings to fire extinguishers, medical CAT scan equipment and building materials.
The rated labeling of an insulated safe or file cabinet indicates the degree of protection the safe or file cabinet will provide its contents if exposed to a fire. The degree of protection will affect the selling price of the cabinet or safe.
The most widely accepted label is issued by Underwriters Laboratories. However, the labeling of insulated record protection equipment is totally voluntary; no laws state that a file drawer, cabinet, or safe must bear a label.
Underwriters Laboratories
Underwriters Laboratories was founded in 1894 and is chartered as a not-for-profit independent testing organization. Its sole purpose and function is to test for public safety. At UL, a whole array of products, systems, devices and materials are stringently examined and tested to insure they pose no risk to life or health, or are not susceptible to fire or other hazards. Crime prevention is also a major UL concern. And, of course, those products designed to protect are put to trial to make sure they DO protect.
The National Fire Protection Association
The National Fire Protection Association has set the same time and temperature limitations as Underwriters Laboratories. This organization, founded in 1896, promotes the improvement of fire protection and prevention methods and devices. The Association obtains and circulates information on fire prevention and safety and also works to gain cooperation from its members, as well as the public, in establishing proper safeguards against loss of life and property to fire. Members of the Association include over one hundred and fifty national and regional societies and associations and over 32,000 individuals, corporations and organizations. The Association is an international, charitable, technical and educational institution.
As maintenance of financial information, personal data and medical records becomes more important, the type of enclosure housing this information becomes more critical. Over the years, Underwriters Laboratories Inc. has developed several test methodologies addressing the fire- and burglary-resistive concerns raised by the end-use application of such an enclosure.
When fire-resistive enclosures are evaluated, the enclosure is subject to various test conditions that will ultimately expose all six sides to fire. This is accomplished by placing the enclosure within a furnance chamber that heats all exposed surfaces to the temperature conditions specified in the test standard.
UL 72 — Tests for Fire Resistance of Record Protection Equipment Fire-resistant record protection equipment is rated as follows:
- The type of media it intends to protect.
- The length of time it provides this level of protection.
- Whether the enclosure provides some level of protection against impact (optional).
There are three different class ratings for this type of evaluation: 350, 150 and 125. Class 350-rated devices protect paper products; class 150-rated devices protect magnetic tapes; and class 125-rated devices protect flexible computer disks.
If a manufacturer wants an Underwriters Laboratories (UL) label on their insulated records protection equipment, the product must meet or exceed the UL 72 testing standards. All relevant Schwab Corp. products meet & exceed this standard.
Products may undergo four different fire resistance tests: 1) fire endurance test, 2) fire and impact test, 3) explosion hazard test, 4) combined explosion and impact test. The product is then rated for each of the tests it has passed, e.g. impact rated.
Primary records consist of many types of documents – paper records, microfilm, computer media, etc. Each has a different degree of tolerance to temperature, humidity and length of time exposed to harmful elements. To allow for these differences, UL tests cover three different temperatures and five different time durations.
The temperature noted on the UL label is the maximum temperature allowed inside the fire protective product during the test. For example, if the temperature inside a safe or file exceeds 350°F, it will fail the UL test for paper rated products. For tapes, cartridges, microfiche, and microfilm, the limit is 150°F (with an 85% humidity restriction); for diskettes, the temperature cannot exceed 125°F (with an 80% humidity restriction).
The time noted on the UL label indicates how long the fire resistant product was tested to withstand exposure to extreme temperature and still maintain a safe temperature/humidity level inside. The time lengths are ½ hour, 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, and 4 hours. Theses times do NOT represent the total time of the tests, and they are totally indicative of the amount of protection offered. One hour rated products offer more than “one hour’s” worth of protection.
The time rating also designates how hot the furnace temperature will get during the testing process. The summary below shows the correlation:
One-Half Hour Rated Products – The furnace is heated up to 1550°F over a one-half hour time period. During this time, the interior of the product cannot exceed the classification temperature or humidity (if applicable) limits.One-Hour Rated Products – 1700°FTwo-Hour Rated Products – 1850°FThree-Hour Rated Products – 1920°FFour-Hour Rated Products – 2000°F
UL Test Descriptions
Fire Endurance Test: Contents, which may consist of paper, computer media, or both, are distributed loosely throughout the fire resistant product to be tested. For products testing to meet the Class 350 or 125 requirements, the product is first conditioned for at least twelve hours prior to the test. This conditioning insures that the temperature of the interior at the start of the test will be between 65° and 75° and the relative humidity will be below 65%. This is considered to be equivalent to the normal room conditions where the documents will be stored. Depending upon the classification time being tested, the furnace heat rises at a carefully monitored rate until the specified temperature is reached. Great care is taken to make sure the furnace heat is distributed evenly over the exposed surfaces of the products.
The following chart gives the temperature and time durations:
| Time in Minutes | Celsius | Fahrenheit |
| 5 | 538 | 1000 |
| 10 | 704 | 1300 |
| 15 | 760 | 1400 |
| 20 | 793 | 1460 |
| 25 | 821 | 1510 |
| 30 | 843 | 1550 |
| 35 | 860 | 1580 |
| 40 | 877 | 1610 |
| 45 | 893 | 1640 |
| 50 | 904 | 1660 |
| 55 | 916 | 1680 |
| 60 | 927 | 1700 |
| 75 | 954 | 1750 |
| 90 | 977 | 1790 |
| 105 | 993 | 1820 |
| 120 | 1010 | 1850 |
| 135 | 1021 | 1870 |
| 150 | 1038 | 1890 |
| 165 | 1044 | 1910 |
| 180 | 1052 | 1920 |
| 195 | 1060 | 1940 |
| 210 | 1071 | 1960 |
| 225 | 1082 | 1980 |
| 240 | 1093 | 2000 |
After the temperature and time is reached, for example an hour – 1700°F, the furnace is turned off. The test product must then cool in the unopened furnace until a significant decrease in the internal temperature is noted. This cooling process can take as long as 68 hours. During this cooling period, the tested product continues to absorb the heat in the furnace and the interior temperature of the product can continue to rise rapidly. It is during this critical point of the test that many manufacturers fail the test, particularly at the 125°F 80% humidity level. Only products whose internal temperature and humidity level remains below the test limits during the entire heating and cooling processes are awarded the label. It is important to note that products which are “tested to UL standards” have not necessarily met or exceeded those standards, and may have actually failed the test. Be careful interpreting sales jargon. ALL SCHWAB CORP. PRODUCTS HAVE MET AND EXCEEDED UL STANDARDS.
Finally, the product is opened and examined to determine whether the contents are still in usable condition. The interior walls and components are checked for any evidence of heat or humidity damage.
One year after this initial test has been conducted; a sample product may be pulled out of production for retesting. The product must once again pass the original classification it was tested for to keep its UL label.
UL® Fire and Impact Testing Standards
After a product has passed the Fire Endurance Test, another sample of the same product may be tested for fire and impact. The sample is prepared in the same manner as the Fire Endurance Test. Then it is heated to a specific time and temperature (see chart below). After the product has been exposed for the correct time period, it is immediately removed form the furnace and hoisted 30 feet off the ground. UL then drops the product within two minutes into a pile of broken brick on a concrete base. This is equivalent to a fall form a third story.
After the impact, the unit is carefully examined for any signs of rupture of insulation or parts, or openings into the interior of the product. Because products do not always land right-side-up in real life situations, the product is turned upside down after cooling. The product is then reheated to check exposure to heat, based on the following classification chart:
| Classification | Initial ExposureReheat Times | Oven Temp |
| 125°-1/2 hours | 20 Min | 1460°F |
Once the product has re-cooled, it is opened and dismantled. The testers examine the insulation material, the condition of the finish on the inside, the fastenings between parts, the security of interior equipment, locks, and the usability of the contents. Evidence of heat and moisture are also checked. One year later, UL may repeat this test on an identical product pulled from the production line.
All UL classified insulated record protection equipment must pass the explosion test. For this test, the sample is prepared in the same manner as for the two previous tests. The test furnace is left empty and heated to 2000°F. The testers quickly open the door and insert the sample. For 30 minutes (20 minutes for units rated ½ hour), the furnace is kept at 2000°F. If no explosion takes place, the sample remains in the furnace until it cools sufficiently to handle.
The sample is then forced to open and examined for heat or moisture damage. The interior finish, insulation, security or interior equipment, locks and fastening between parts, all undergo detailed inspection.
At the option of the manufacturer, the Impact and Explosion tests can be combined. The sample is inserted in the furnace to test for explosion, and then dropped 30 feet. The sample is then reheated and cooled again, and finally, examined carefully.
Possible Classification Labels: In summary, the labels below list the different classifications available, noting the different tests, temperatures, and time limits.
| #1 Label Style | |
| #2 Label Style |
Record Protection EquipmentClassified ByUnderwriters Laboratories, IncAs To Fire ResistanceRating: Class_______-____Hr |
| #3 Label Style |
Record Protection EquipmentClassified ByUnderwriters Laboratories, IncAs To Fire ResistanceRating: Class_______-____HrSee Marking Inside Unit For Class Ratings Applicable To Individual Compartments |
| #4 Label Style |
Record Protection EquipmentClassified ByUnderwriters Laboratories, IncAs To Fire ResistanceRating: Class_______-____HrSee Marking Inside Unit For Class Ratings Applicable To Individual Compartments |
Class or classes to be 350°, 150°, 125° Hr to be ½, 1, 2, 3, or 4
Please remember, all four label styles require that the product has also passed the explosion test.
The three different temperature limits, 125°, 150° and 350° are the result of testing and research with the manufacturers of different media forms. Paper burns at 420°F, so UL advised a temperature limit of 350°F to allow a generous margin of safety. The temperature within the sample being tested must never at any time, exceed 350°F, even during the cool down period in order to pass the test.
Underwriters Laboratories first tested computer media units in the late 1960′s. In those first few years, computer media units were tested at the 150°F; 85% humidity level. That is, UL tests determined whether the insulated products could maintain an interior temperature of 150°F and humidity below 85% even when exposed to intense heat. Testing showed that temperature and humidity levels above these limits could irreparably damage computer media. Once diskettes became available, testing showed that temperatures above 125°F and humidity levels greater than 80% could endanger the diskettes, and a new classification was set. Whenever a new media is developed, UL meets with the manufacturer to determine if a new testing procedure is needed.
To monitor the temperature of the media unit during testing, UL uses thermocouples, which are devices to measure temperature. These are placed at the bottom of the unit, at the top of the unit, and on all four side walls. The unit is then tested in the manners mentioned on the previous pages, with the time and temperatures set to meet the classification requirements, and interior temperature/humidity limits. To measure humidity, electronic sensing devices are employed. One is place 18 inches from the top and one is placed 18 inches from the bottom, located midway between all side walls.
Note on Computer Media:
Some articles have stated that computer media should be stored at a temperature of 70°F and a humidity level between 35% and 60%. These are the requirements for long term or normal day-in day-out storage. The UL requirements are designed to protect tapes and diskettes form intense heat and humidity for a critical period of time in the event of a fire. UL does not recommend that you store your diskettes and tapes at a 125°F, 80% humidity level on a regular basis.
Foreign Labels and Testing Procedures
In the impact test the product is heated for one and a half hours. The product is then removed from the furnace and dropped 15 feet. UL drops products 30 feet. The product is hosed down, and opened. CSTB does not reheat the product to make sure it can still withstand the heat requirements. Reheating is standard UL practice. CTSB does not conduct explosion tests.
B.T.U. in Germany ( V.D.M.A.)Testing is conducted at Braunschweig Technical University by the Institute for Construction Materials, Permanent Building and Fire Protection. The Fire Endurance Tests are comparable to those performed by UL. In the Explosion Test the furnace is preheated for thirty minutes. The product is then placed in the furnace and held at a constant temperature of 2000°F for fifteen minutes. At the end of the period, the product is dropped from a height of 30 feet, and then reheated in the furnace. The product is allowed to cool naturally, and is then opened and inspected for damage.
J.I.S. in JapanJ.I.S. differs from UL in that they do not have one hour or four hour labels. J.I.S. also drop tests their products from a height of only 13 feet. Finally, J.I.S. artificially cools the products after testing by hosing them down.
Products are tested against explosion by heating the product in the furnace to 1700°F. It takes approximately ten minutes for the furnace to reach this temperature. In UL tests, the furnace is already at 2000°F before the unit is placed inside. J.I.S. then heats the product for twenty minutes, as opposed to thirty minutes in UL testing. After testing, the product is hosed down.
RetestingUL may retest one production unit one year after the initial test to insure units still meet requirements. None of the above labels retests units.
UL 72 Fire Resistance Rating Standard
UL 72 Fire resistance testing standards are conducted by the Underwriter’s Laboratories, www.ul.com. The following UL 72 fire rating requirements follow the highest standards for fire rating test procedures.
1.1 These UL 72 Fire Resitance Rating requirements cover the test procedures applicable to the fire-resistance classification of record protection equipment intended to provide protection to one or more types of records when exposed to various durations of fire exposure.
1.2 Record protection equipment consists of self-contained, moveable devices of varying configurations, such as insulated bodies with insulated doors or drawers or lids, nonrated multidrawer devices housing individually rated drawer bodies, and other similar constructions.
1.3 Tests conducted in accordance with these requirements are intended to demonstrate the performance of record protection equipment during exposure to fire, but are not intended to determine acceptability for use after fire exposure.
1.4 Under these requirements, record protection equipment is exposed to a fire endurance test and an explosion test. Equipment intended to provide impact resistance is also exposed to a fire and impact test. The fire endurance test is intended to demonstrate the ability of the device to prevent the development of temperatures and relative humidity (Classes 125 and 150 only) exceeding the specified limits inside the device for the classification desired. The explosion test is intended to demonstrate the ability of the device to withstand a sudden exposure to high temperatures and prevent an explosion of the device from a buildup of steam or other gases. The fire and impact test is intended to demonstrate the ability of the device to protect contents from heat, to the extent described in the requirements, before and after an impact due to falling 30 feet (9.1 m).
1.5 The fire exposures are controlled to achieve specified temperatures throughout a specified time period. These fire test exposures by themselves may not be representative of all fire conditions; conditions may vary with changes in the amount, nature, and distribution of fire loading; the size and fire or nonfire resistive construction of the building; and the location of the device within the building.
1.6 The interior sample temperature and relative humidity limitations applied to the three classes of devices reflect the type of records to be stored in the device. Class 350 rated devices are intended to protect paper records, Class 150 rated devices are intended to protect paper and nonpaper records such as EDP media (magnetic tapes) and photographic records, and Class 125 rated devices are intended to also protect flexible computer disks. However, nonpaper records are not used as contents for the tests described in these requirements since testing to determine the ability of all available nonpaper records to withstand these conditions is not within the scope of these requirements.
1.7 Record protection equipment may incorporate locking devices, but the burglary resistance of such mechanisms is not within the scope of these requirements.
1.8 A product that contains features, characteristics, components, materials, or systems new or different from those covered by the requirements in this standard, and that involves a risk of fire or of electric shock or injury to persons shall be evaluated using appropriate additional component and end-product requirements to maintain the level of safety as originally anticipated by the intent of this standard. A product whose features, characteristics, components, materials, or systems conflict with specific requirements or provisions of this standard does not comply with this standard. Revision of requirements shall be proposed and adopted in conformance with the methods employed for development, revision, and implementation of this standard.
UL 155 Vault Door & File Room Door Standard
Standard for Tests for Fire Endurance of Vault and File Room Doors
ScopeThese requirements cover the test procedure applicable to the fire-resistance classification of doors intended for the protection of openings of vaults and file rooms, specifically the UL 155 Standard for Safety.
Recommendations for record protection equipment and techniques, including the use and installation of vault or file room door assemblies, are contained in the Standard for Protection of Records, NFPA 232.
The terms “vault doors” and “file room doors” refer to assemblies consisting of doors, single or in pairs, the frame into which doors are hung, and the necessary hardware. These assemblies are intended to provide fire resistance and protection to contents from heat for periods designated by the classifications to an extent described in these requirements.
Vault doors are recommended for use on enclosures of limited volume [not exceeding 5000 cubic feet (142 m3*)], constructed so that no point on the interior surface will reach a temperature exceeding 350°F (177°C) when separate vault members or the vault as a whole are exposed to a fire regulated according to the standard time-temperature curve. See Figure .
File room doors are recommended for enclosures of large volume [not exceeding 50,000 cubic feet (1420 m3*)] for the storage of records which are not of sufficient importance to economically justify the provision of vaults. It is anticipated that combustibles will not be stored nearer than 3 feet (0.91 m) from the unexposed face of the door nor 6 inches (152 mm) to the side from the door joints.
It is intended that classification shall register performance during the period of exposure and shall not be construed as having determined suitability for use after fire exposure.
A product that contains features, characteristics, components, materials, or systems new or different from those covered by the requirements in this standard, and that involves a risk of fire, electric shock, or injury to persons shall be evaluated using appropriate additional component and end-product requirements to maintain the the level of safety as originally anticipated by the intent of this standard. A product whose features, characteristics, components, materials, or systems conflict with specific requirements or provisions of this standard does not comply with this standard. Revision of requirements shall be proposed and adopted in conformance with the methods employed for development, revision, and implementation of this standard.*m3 = cubic meters
UL 140 Relocking Device Standard
STANDARD FOR SAFETY FOR RELOCKING DEVICES FOR SAFES AND VAULTSScope
These requirements cover relocking devices for the following:
a) Light vault doors,
b) Heavy vault doors, and
c) Safes or chests.
Relocking devices are intended to relock the bolt mechanism or door of a vault, safe, or chest in th e event that the combination lock is subjected to attack.
A product that contains features, characteristics, components, materials, or systems new or different from those in use when the Standard was developed, and that involves a risk of fire, electric shock, or injury to persons, shall be evaluated using the appropriate additional component and end-product requirements as determined necessary to mai ntain the level of safety for the user of the product as originally anticipated by the intent of this Standard.
Standard for Safety for Combination Locks, UL 768
Scope: These requirements cover combination locks intended for attachment on doors of safes, chests, vaults, and the like, to provide a means of locking the boltwork against unauthorized opening.
These requirements are intended to test the ability of combination locks to resist unauthorized opening of the combination locks by sense of sight, touch, or hearing. Combination locks covered by these requirements may or may not have integral protection against entry by force.
A product that contains features, characteristics, components, materials, or systems new or different from those covered by the requirements in this Standard, and that involves a risk of fire, electric shock, or injury to persons shall be evaluated using the appropriate additional component and end-product requirements to determine that the level of safety as originally anticipated by the intent of this Standard is maintained. A product whose features, characteristics, components, materials, or systems conflict with specific requirements or provisions of this Standard shall not be judged to comply with this Standard. Where appropriate, revision of requirements shall be proposed and adopted in conformance with the methods employed for development, revision, and implementation of this Standard.
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