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Call Us: + 353 (01) 7076011

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Guide To European Certification
  • Insurance Rates (ISRG)
  • Advice Videos
  • Lock Videos
  • Testimonials
  • Blog

An Garda Síochána Advice On Safes (HTML Version)

pdf downloadLink to PDF from An Garda Síochána website

An Garda Síochána would always advise against keeping large sums of cash and valuables on your premises. If it is necessary to hold cash and valuables ensure that they are stored securely. Understanding safe ratings can help you choose the right safe for your needs.

Suitability

The first and most important question to ask when choosing a safe is, what needs to be protected?

Safes are available with certification for burglary resistance, fire protection for documents or fire and electro-magnetic protection for electronic media, so it's important to be realistic about what needs to be protected and what risks need to be countered.

Retailers should consider a safe with an anti hold-up precaution such as time delay or time locking whereas for a safe in a home office, fire protection for documents, as well as protection for small amounts of cash may be re-quired.

Safe grades

A safe's grade is intended to be an indication of the unit's resistance to attack and this is true if the safe has been properly tested in an accredited laboratory and certified by an independent accredited European body.

Be wary of safe grades “assigned” by the manufacturer or seller for marketing purposes as they have no real basis in testing. "Recommended cash covers" are the manufacturer's or seller's suggestion and have no relation to certified grades.

Always check that the safe you intend to buy is properly certified for its purpose.

Valid certification and grades

Without a doubt the most reliable guide to a safe or vault's resistance to attack or fire is properly accredited European certification.

European bodies certifying safes or vaults must have ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation to carry out certification of the specific products they are certifying. When a safe is tested and certified by an accredited body it is awarded a grade which indicates the unit's attack resistance. In the case of burglary resistance for example, grades are between 0 and 13. These certified grades have a direct relation to the cash rating recommended by each national rating organisation. In Ireland's case the I.S.R.G.

Irish Safes Ratings

In the Republic of Ireland safe insurance ratings are set by The Irish Safes Ratings Group (ISRG). The voluntary group was established in 2016 at the request of ESSA the European Security Systems Association. Their task is to make and periodically update recommended insurance ratings related to the overnight cash cover for certified safes, strong rooms and secure cabinets for the Republic of Ireland, conforming to European standards EN14450, EN1143-1, EN1143-2. The National Standards Authority Of Ireland and The Private Security Authority sit in an observer capacity on the group.

Current rates for safes in Ireland can be found below.

Digital Vs mechanical / key locking

It is possible to access a mechanical safe or vault lock by non invasive manipulation and in doing so leave no trace of entry. Keys for safes are also easily copied. In comparison, the penalty lockout feature of a certified digital safe lock shuts the lock down for ten minutes if five or more incorrect codes are entered in a row. For this and many more reasons the ISRG would always recommend a certified digital safe lock, to European Standard EN 1300 over either an old style mechanical combination or key lock.

Installation

If a safe has not been anchored and fitted correctly the safe’s resistance to attack is compromised and quite often it can easily be removed from its location. For this reason certification is invalid if a certified safe is not anchored correctly. Incorrect fitting can also negatively impact a safe’s fire protection so it’s important that your safe is fitted by a competent technician to EN1143-1 specifications.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS OR OTHER CRIME PREVENTION ISSUES,

PLEASE CONTACT your local GARDA CRIME PREVENTION OFFICER or

visit the Garda website at www.garda.ie

May 2016

All recommended ratings are subject to risk assessment and the appropriate security controls being in place.

Irish Safes Ratings Group

  • The European standard for secure cabinets is: EN14450
  • The European standard for safes is: EN1143-1
  • The European standard for deposit safes is: EN1143-2
Amounts in €1000 units
Contents cover is five times cash rating
Grade Standard Type Cash Jewellery / Contents
S1 EN 14450 Secure Cabinet NA NA
S2 EN 14450 Secure Cabinet NA NA
0 EN 1143-1 Safe €7,500.00 €37,500.00
I EN 1143-1 / EN 1143-2   Safe / Deposit Safe   €12,500.00 €62,500.00
II EN 1143-1 / EN 1143-2 Safe / Deposit Safe  €25,000.00 €125,000.00
III EN 1143-1 / EN 1143-2 Safe / Deposit Safe €50,000.00 €250,000.00
IV EN 1143-1 / EN 1143-2 Safe / Deposit Safe €90,000.00 €450,000.00
V EN 1143-1 Safe €150,000.00     €750,000.00
VI EN 1143-1 Safe €200,000.00 €1000,000.00

  • Recommended amounts are for indicative purposes only and are subject to approval by the insurer on a case by case basis
  • Certified deposit safes are only available in grade 1 to 5 and display the certification EN1143-2. Any other mark not accepted
  • Certified safes with a weight of <1.000 kg must be anchored at the place of installation in accordance with the EN1143-1 specification
  • NA – Not advised
  • PA – Prior approval recommended – It’s necessary to discuss this cover in detail with your insurance company as it falls outside normal recommendations
From advice issued by the Garda Crime Prevention National Centre of Excellence Garda H.Q., Harcourt Square, Dublin 2. January 2018

The advice contained in this information sheet is not intended to be exhaustive or absolute. Nothing contained in this publication should be interpreted as mandatory, obligatory or designed to conflict with any statutory regulations.

Issued by the Garda Crime Prevention National Centre of Excellence, Garda Bureau of Community Engagement Harcourt Square, D 2. Tel: (01) 666336 Email: CPNCOE@garda.ie