Fireproof File Cabinets – Why They Are a Must Have For Your Home and Business

Fireproof file cabinets play a critical role in protecting your important personal and business documents and safe storage of them can literally mean a fine line between failure and success of your business survival. They not only keep your hard documents safe and sound, but can also help you keep your data files away from fire and flood, that is, if you use a fireproof media safe as well. These are specifically made to be able to withstand great intensity of heat, as data files in digitalized formats have a lower burning point than normal paper.

It follows then that using the right fireproof file cabinets can help you keep a flourishing business safe. There are a few key types of fire proof file cabinets which you may consider, the nominal vertical units, the lateral ones as well as the side / tab end / tab versions.

The most common and popular of them all is the vertical ones, which are easily found in many offices and homes. They come in two to four drawers and are very versatile. They are best used for storing front to back filing and come in a variety of colors, designs and are insulated with a typical UL rating of 350 degree for 1 hour. That means that the unit can withstand a temperature of 350 degree F for duration of about an hour. The more fire proof the unit, the higher the temperature and longer the duration. The fire proof media safe, for instance, would have a much higher duration and temperature feature.

The lateral version is another option you could choose from. They are deep, wider than the verticals, and allow side by side filing as well as odd and long size files to be stored. Also prevalent are the choices two to four drawers which are all insulated separately. Plunger locks are used to make lock picking more difficult.

The side / tab end / tab fireproof file cabinets on the other hand, are more popular for record filing. Most medical institutions would prefer this form of cabinets as they not only enable letter and legal sized files, they are also HIPAA compliant. They are also tested for impact resistant.