The Fire Endurance Test subjects the safe to temperatures experienced in a real office fire. The test is carried out in the following stages:
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1) Furnace
The furnace is heated to temperatures around 1000 ˚C and the safe is placed inside for one or two hours depending on the test. This simulates the heat of a real office fire.
Remember: Paper documents require protection from temperatures higher than 177˚C and digital media from temperatures higher than 55˚C. So while it is approaching 1000˚C outside, the inside of the safe must remain hundreds of degrees cooler, otherwise it fails the test. |
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2) Cooling
The safe is left to gradually cool down. This is known as the “cooling period” or “soak out” and will last until the temperature has peaked.
When an office fire has been extinguished, temperatures still remain high and heat is drawn to cooler areas, such as the interior of the safe. Therefore the contents are still at risk for several hours after a fire has been put out.
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3) Check protective function
Throughout the test, the internal temperature is continually monitored and recorded. If it has exceeded the limit at any point (177˚C for paper and 55˚C for digital media), then the safe will not pass the test.
When testing safes which must protect moisture-sensitive digital media, humidity levels are also monitored. |
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