INDUSTRYNEWS • 25
Not only will keeping property
in a safe protect from the elements
but may also favourably affect a
company’s insurance policy, and,
keeping insurance documents safe
means that the lengthy process of
claiming can be started as quickly
as possible!
‘As always, prevention
is better than a cure’
Water-resistant safes such as the
Masterlock Fire Chest come in a
number of sizes and will remain
watertight for up to 72 hours,
providing protection for valuable
and sensitive documents and data
and allowing vital time for the
contents to be moved to a safer
environment.
Just as ruinous to a business,
if not more so, is the threat from
fire.
Between 2013 and 2014 there
were 22,200 fires recorded in
commercial buildings in the
UK and the damage can be
devastating – In 2005, CD and
DVD manufacturer VDC Group in
London suffered a fire from which
the company was, ultimately,
unable to recover.
Every time there are flames
within a business property, there
is a very real likelihood that the
business will lose everything in
that building due to the fact that
any items that survive the fire will
quite possibly then be drenched
by the building’s sprinkler
system.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire
Safety) Order introduced in
England and Wales in 2006 states
that it is the responsibility of the
employer to carry out a fire risk
assessment to identify hazards,
recognise staff at risk and to
evaluate, reduce or remove the
risks.
If the business premises contain
any dangerous or unstable
substances, these must be stored
correctly in conjunction with
government guidelines and
important or sensitive documents,
valuables and digital data should
be stored in a fireproof storage unit
or a fireproof filing cabinet that is
tested to withstand temperatures
of 700 degrees for an hour.
Some products protect contents
for up to two hours at a staggering
temperature of 1010° - which may
mean the difference between
having vital documents to hand or
‘this is
a vital
time for
businesses
to protect
their
premises’
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | MAR/APR 2016
Sponsored by ABUS
having to go through the timeconsuming process of replacing
them.
Different types of materials burn
at different temperatures so it is
important to ensure that the safe that
you are buying is fit for purpose.
With forecasters predicting more
stormy weather ahead for 2016,
this is a vital time for businesses
to protect their premises in order
to avoid costly damage repairs,
destruction of equipment and
products and loss of income resulting
from a temporary close of business.
www.securikey.co.uk