What exactly are fireproof filing cabinets? What are they used for?
If you are like most people, you probably have never heard of fireproof filing cabinets before. So what are they? Can they really be fireproof?
Sure nothing really is fireproof per say, but you can make something extremely resistant to fire and if you think about the 2300 degrees F it takes to melt steel, well that is some food for thought.
Just consider if a fire broke out in your place of business or your home. Everything important would go up in smoke. This is exactly why fireproof filing cabinets are made. All of those things you need protected will be protected. They fit right into any work office or home. Have you ever wondered how they work?
What do their fireproof capabilities really mean?
In reality, these types of cabinets act as safes more than cabinets. This means that they will be able to resist fire until firefighters can put the fire out and thereby safe guard your property.
For arguments sake, let’s say that fire has broke out near this type of cabinet. Each cabinet will have a fire rating on them. These ratings are measured in hours. So the cabinet is currently on fire. We will assume that there is a 1 hour fire rating on this particular cabinet.
Understanding fire ratings
In comparison to a regular cabinet, this 1 hour rating sort of presents a unique opportunity. The firefighters will have at least one hour to stop the fire while your possessions remain safe!
The one hour could be all the firefighters need to get the blaze under control and save your things. So because of this, your possessions have a better life expectancy than normal. Be forewarned though. There are a lot of “so called” fireproof filing cabinets, but you should only choose those that have met the ISO standards.
Who would use a cabinet like this?
That’s easy – anyone that needs a new place for storing files or wants to protect their belongings – besides you never know when you may have a fire, right? You will need a reliable cabinet you can count on.
There are a large variety of fireproof filing cabinets for personal use and business use. At least now you know how they work and what to look for in a good cabinet. Why take a chance otherwise?