Safe Ratings

Question: What do the phrases 'overnight cash cover' and/or 'cash rating' mean?

Answer: The phrases relate to the amount of cash (not cheques, jewellery or other valuables) that can be stored in a safe when left in an unoccupied building either overnight or over holiday periods.

For instance, the phoenix Saracen safe range has been given a cash rating of £1,500 meaning that your insurers should be happy to reimburse you for any losses up to £1,500 following a successful burglary attempt.

However, it must be understood that this is only an approximate figure and it is absolutely essential to discuss this with your insurers as many other factors can affect the amount that can be stored in the safe. As most people will know, insurance companies have differing premiums depending upon many things, such as post codes, so where you live may affect the amount of cover you can get on your safe. If you have used the same insurer for a long time without making any claims, if you have a good quality burglar alarm, or if you have a business which has 24 hour security cover, you may find that you can actually get a higher cover from your insurer, but you must discuss this with them - no one else can make this decision.

Safe Weights

Question: What is to stop a burglar from just picking up my safe and running off with it to open elsewhere?

Answer: Most quality safes are reasonably heavy which is part of their security. However, even the cheapest safes should have some method of bolting the safe firmly to the floor. Bradley's have installed safes in excess of 2 tonnes into jewellers and this is not uncommon in the jewellery and pawn trades.

How Many Different Types Of Lock Are There?

Question: How many different types of safe lock are there, and what are the differences.

Answer: As a general rule, there are 3, key locking, combination & the electronic lock. However, there are dozens of different types and sizes of each.
Although still relatively in their infancy, the electronic locks appear to be the locks of the future. Easy to use, many of these locks have features that allow:

• You to check who opened the safe and when,
• You to have the safe open only after a set period of time (time delay)
• You to stop the safe opening between certain times (such as when the business is closed)
• The owner to attach a duress alarm system
• Dual control (where two people must be present to open the safe)

If you have any special requirements, e-mail or phone us with your problem, and we will attempt to find the most suitable lock system for you.

Why Do Some Safes Have More Than 1 Lock?

Question: I have seen safes which have more than 1 lock. Is there any need for this if I am the only person using the safe?

Answer: If you are the only person using the safe, then the answer is probably no - you don't usually need more than 1 lock fitted. However, there are many instances in business where it is a good idea to have more than 1 lock.
For instance, in many shops, a collection team will collect the money from the safe every day so that there is never too much money kept in the safe. These safes have a deposit opening at the top which the staff can drop the money into the safe (in small tubes) without ever knowing the combination or even having a key. The staff have no way of getting the money out of the safe. Hopefully, people (including thieves) get to know that the staff have no way of opening the safe and hopefully they never get into a 'duress situation'. Another system on higher grade safes is where the staff have one key and the collection company have another. This means that both people must be there to open the safe. This can work in other ways too. In your business, one manager can have a key, whilst the cashier knows the combination of the other lock. Again, for security, you need both people there to open up the safe. Clubs often use this system. This ensures that there are at least two people there to open the safe. The treasurer & secretary may both have a key, while the combination could be known by three or four other members of the committee, so the safe cannot be opened unless there is at least one from each group present.

Why Have Different Types Of Lock?

Question: Why are there so many different types of lock fitted to safes?

Answer: Many people find certain types of lock easier to use than others.
For instance, a person with arthritis may have difficulty turning a key but may find a digital lock easy to use. Most digital locks have a keypad (a bit like your phonepad) which once the correct number is punched in, the safe can be opened. Then there is the standard combination lock which is the type seen on many a James Bond movie! Turn 4 times left to 32, 3 times right to 81, twice left to 42 and then once more right to open! Quite difficult to learn, but once you have done it a few times, it's not so bad. With these locks you also have the ability to change the numbers as often as you wish, which you can't do with a keylock (not without the expense of calling out a safe engineer).