Facts and Fire Ratings
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UL Fire Rated Safe Resouces Guide
Learn more about what a UL fire rating is and how fireproof products are tested.
UL Standard for Safety for Vault Doors & File Room Doors
Complete UL testing standards for the UL 155 Safety Standard
Class A, B, C & D Fire Ratings
Fire Door Ratings, Times, and Square Footage.
UL 687 Burglary Safe Rating and TL-15, TL-30
Learn more about the UL Burglary requirements for burglary attacks
Burglary Ratings, "B" and "C" Rated
Learn more about the UL Burglary ratings as well as fire and burglary rated safes.
Underwriter's Laboratories, Inc.
This non-profit is the leading provider of fire rating tests for fireproof or fire resistant safes, filing cabinets and media cabinets.
Home Fires Facts & Figures
In 2002, there were 389,000 reported home fires in the United States, resulting in 2,670 deaths, 13,650 injuries and $5.9 billion in direct property damage.
U.S. Facts & Figures
Every 19 seconds, a fire department responded to a fire somewhere in the United States.
Public fire departments responded to 1,687,500 fires. These include 519,000 structure fires.
In 2002, there were 3,380 civilian fire deaths. This is a decrease of 9.8% from a year ago, excluding the events of 9/11/01. Nationwide, there was a civilian fire death every 156 minutes.
In 2002, home fires caused 2,670 or 79% of civilian fire deaths. This is a 14.1% decrease, making it the lowest home fire death total since NFPA´s fire experience current survey methodology started in 1977.
Nationwide, there was a civilian fire injury every 28 minutes. There were an estimated 18,425 civilian fire injuries, of which 13,650 occurred in homes.
Only one-fifth of the home fire deaths from 1989-1998 were caused by fires in which a smoke alarm was present and operated.
Most fatal fires kill one or two people. In 2002, 15 home fires killed five or more people. These 15 fires resulted in 90 deaths (87 civilians and 3 firefighters).
In 2002, U.S. fire departments responded to more than 1,000 home fires a day.
Frequently Asked Questions regarding safes , file cabinets and listings.
1. What does it mean when it says "media" safe?
When the term media is used in describing a fireproof safe or cabinet it is referring to the material that is stored inside. Media is anything from computer disks to microfilm. Anything in this category needs to carry the UL 125 fireproof rating to be protected.
2. Are all products that are "tested to UL standards" really fireproof?
Not all products that are tested by UL are actually fireproof. Many manufacturers of "Fireproof" equipment advertise that they are "UL tested." However, being UL tested and actually passing the test are two very different labels. It is very important to distinguish between these fireproof products. All 'fireproof' products on the K.L. Security Website have all passed the UL Tests for their appropriate temperature and time ratings.
3. What should I look for to determine if the fireproof product I am purchasing actually passed the UL tests?
In order to determine whether a fireproof safe or fireproof filing cabinet is "UL tested" or actually classified by UL as passing the UL 72 fireproof tests you need to check the label. If the product just says "UL tested" it most likely did not pass the test. If the product did pass you will see one of the following labels:
#1 Label Style Record Protection Equipment
Classified By
Underwriters Laboratories, Inc
As To Fire Resistance
Rating: Class_______-____Hr
#2 Label Style Record Protection Equipment
Classified By
Underwriters Laboratories, Inc
As To Fire and Impact Resistance
Rating: Class_______-____Hr
#3 Label Style Record Protection Equipment
Classified By
Underwriters Laboratories, Inc
As To Fire Resistance
Rating: Classes_______and______-____Hr
See Marking Inside Unit For Class Ratings
Applicable To Individual Compartments
#4 Label Style Record Protection Equipment
Classified By
Underwriters Laboratories, Inc
As To Fire and Impact Resistance
Rating: Classes_______and______-____Hr
See Marking Inside Unit For Class Ratings
Applicable To Individual Compartments4. Are all fireproof files impact tested?
No, not all fireproof filing cabinets or fireproof safes are impact tested. In order to be listed as a fireproof file cabinet the protection unit the equipment must pass the UL fire and impact test as part of the UL 72 testing standards. To simulate the fall that a fireproof cabinet or fireproof safe may incur during the collapse of a floor in a structural fire, the product is heated to between 1460°F and 1700°F removed from the furnace and hoisted 30 feet off the ground. UL then drops the product within two minutes into a pile of broken brick on a concrete base. This is equivalent to a fall form a third story.
5. To what temperature are fireproof safes, fireproof filing cabinets and fireproof media cabinets tested by UL?
There are different time periods for fireproof testing depending on the UL rating that the product is attempting to reach. The most common ratings are for ½ hour, 1 hour, 2 hour, 3 hour, and 4 hour. As the time goes up so does the temperature to which the product is heated. For ½ hour the product is heated to 1550°F, for 1 hour 1700°F, 2 hours 1850°F, 3 hours 1920°F, and 2000°F for products rated 4 hours. Once the product reaches the set time and temperature the furnace is turned off. The test product must then cool in the unopened furnace until there is a significant decrease in the internal temperature of the product. This cooling period can take as long as 68 hours and is the point at which most products fail the test due to the fact that the interior of the product continues to rise in the unopened furnace.
6. Why are there 350°F and 125°F class for fireproof filing cabinets and other fireproof products?
The 350°F and 125° refer to the temperature that the interior of the product is allowed to reach during a fire. Not all products break down at the same temperature during a fire. Paper products will burn when the interior of the safe or filing cabinet reaches 400°F. Media on the other hand is much more susceptible to heat. Most forms of media are useless after they surpass the 125°F point. So make sure that you check the UL label on the product to make sure that it is properly rated for the types of contents that you are going to store.
7. Do I have to buy fireproof products to become HIPAA Compliant?
The HIPAA, or Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, sets standards for the storage and security of PHI (protected health information) by health care organizations and their entities. The mandate sets strict guidelines on how Personal Health Information is to be stored and shared. The mandate does not give specific rules on how to become compliant it simply tells healthcare organizations that they need to take appropriate administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect the personal information of the people. The purpose of these standards is to protect a covered entity's computer systems and related buildings and equipment from fire and other natural hazards, as well as unauthorized intrusion. A fireproof security solution from K.L. Security Enterprises will help move you entity toward compliance with the HIPAA regulations. Each covered entity is required to address the following physical safeguard standards that concern the physical protection of data systems and data from intrusion and from environmental or natural hazards.
· Facility Access Controls
· Workstation Use
· Workstation Security
· Device and Media Controls8. Do I really need a home security safe?
In the U.S. in the year 2000 there were nearly 1.4 million residential burglaries. That is an astounding burglary every 23 seconds. The estimated direct property loss from those burglaries was $1.9 Billion dollars with an average per occurrence of nearly $1,400.00. A quality home security safe can drastically reduce the chance of you losing your valuables.
9. Why should I buy a fireproof safe?
Depending on what you intend to store in your safe or cabinet you may want to purchase a fireproof safe or filing cabinet. If you are going to store any paper products, computer discs, microfilm or any other form of media you want to make sure the safe is fireproof. The UL rating on the safe needs to be at least 350°F for paper and 125°F for all types of media.
10. What are the chances that my security safe will be in a fire?
Many people understand the need to protect their valuables in a security safe. What people do not realize sometimes is that the risk of fire is also a major danger. In the U.S. in 2001 there were nearly 400,000 residential structural fires. The average fire occurs every 80 seconds, with an average total loss of over $14,000.00 per occurrence; the property loss for the year 2001 was over $5.6 Billion.
11. Why do I need my fireproof filing cabinet or safe to be waterproof, I don't live in a flood area?
When there is a fire there is usually going to be water. The average overhead sprinkler system releases 25-35 gallons of water per minute and fire hoses are anywhere from 100-250 gallons per minute. With numbers water is often the primary cause for document loss. Whether you sprinkler system or the firefighters save your residence or business it is very important for your fireproof safe and fireproof filing cabinets to be waterproof.
12. What is a Media Cooler?
A media Cooler is a great addition to any fireproof filing cabinet. When used in conjunction with any 350°F -1hr UL rated filing cabinet or safe it is certified to 125°F making it safe for all types of computer media. The compact design is also theft resistant and fits right inside your existing fireproof filing cabinet.
13. Is 1700°F a high enough testing temperature?
Yes! The average business fire in the United States burns at approximately 800°F for 20 minutes. Fireproof safes and fireproof filing cabinets are UL tested to withstand a temperature of 1700°F for an entire hour.