In many business establishments fireproof cabinets play an important role. This is primarily because of their highly secure features. Although most corporate offices are eager to do paperless transactions, and reliably on digitized data these days, no one can completely do away with paperwork. Here a fireproof cabinet is a must-have in business firms and is essential in disaster management.
There is a whole lot of difference between a normal cabinet and a fireproof cabinet though they may look the same.
Some businesses make the mistake of storing important contracts, confidential company records, deeds, financial documents, etc in a common filing cabinet. But the truth is that these cabinets will only prevent unauthorized access. They will also help you store your valuable documents in an organized manner. However, they will not protect your beloveds in the eventuality of a fire mishap. If you invest in it your documents will be safe and secure because they are tested and designed for their fireproof security.
We have already mentioned that a fireproof cabinet is the first step towards fire safety. This is because they can resist damage due to fire for up to two hours.
Let's see what happens when you store paper in a normal cabinet. Paper gets ignored at high compression. The temperature inside a common cabinet will rise very quickly as steel is a good conductor of heat. As a result even if the cabinet is not damaged during a fire outbreak, the paper contents inside it will be totally destroyed. On the other hand, a typical fireproof cabinet will have a double-walled steel body. And the hollow space will be packed with a unique fire resistant compound. The compound will have a hydrate such as gypsum or alum that when heated releases water vapor.
Some of this water vapor is channeled into the interior of the safe to create a pressure seal against the outer heat of the fire and to control the inside temperature. The top, back, base and the front of the door control the pressure / humidity levels. This allows some of the steam to escape into the fire. These features reinforce the fire resistance of the safe. During a fire outbreak these features will guarantee that all gaps are sealed.
Most fireproof cabinets also come with high quality locking bolts, digital locks, and selective draw by draw access controls. Each drawer is separately protected for fireproof filing. The documents will be protected even if a drawer is left open during a fire outbreak. In an ordinary cabinet these features are missing.
You will find that the benefits of investing in a fireproof cabinet outweigh the cost factor when you take a fire risk assessment into consideration. Your business can function effectively even after a fire mishap if you invest in a fireproof cabinet.
Fireproof filing cabinets protect documents, CDs and other valuable possessions for a prolonged period of time not only during a fire breakout, but also during natural disasters like an earthquake and flood.
An added advantage is that they are multifunctional. It can protect anything from documents and jewelery, to antiques, CDs, cash and even expensive art works, and guns! They can withstand tampering from the outside to a large extent, too.
These safety features make a fireproof cabinet highly secure.