Used safes may bring risk
With used safes, use caution, suggests a German-based security body. Second-hand products might not comply with latest technology. Repairs might not be carried out properly and spare parts might be poor quality. So says Frankfurt-based ESSA – The International Security Association.
The latest technology considers the current safe cracking methods and burglary tools. Modern, ECB•S-certified products offer demonstrably more protection it is claimed than safes which comply, for instance, only with the out-dated security levels A and B. This was shown in comparison tests. A and B products are still available in the market, their requirements are, however, based on a VDMA specification which was withdrawn ten years ago for security reasons.
The ESSA says that it stopped giving insurance recommendations for A and B steel cabinets years ago. Kristian Hess warns of weak points in design and construction: “For the door, VDMA 24992 Specification only stipulates “a bolt locking at the front“. Resistance grade 0 according to EN 1143-1, on the other hand, requires a complex locking mechanism with a significantly higher resistance value. Anchoring, too, is not a subject covered by the Specification – included in the current standard is the requirement that it must be possible to firmly fix products weighing less than 1000 kilos.”
Even certified safes bought second-hand are problematic, it is claimed. Sometimes the standards the certification is based on are outdated. In addition, there is a risk that repairs were carried out by technicians without proper expert knowledge or that spare parts of poor quality were used. In both cases, the specified resistance grade may be substantially reduced. Safes with mechanical locking systems are also exposed to a “key risk” – nobody can guarantee that there are no duplicate keys for the safe.
Background: ESSA
ESSA – the International Security Association based in Frankfurt/Main has more than 130 members from 33 countries. The association supports the ECB•S certification of European Certification Body (ECB) GmbH as a neutral certification body. It guarantees maximum security properties to European standards.
