Page 22 - BOSS Today Issue 30

Special Report - Security

technical sell. But they are of some of these products and demand overall, while the tin box with a lock on! As with
missing a huge opportunity, as ease of access into a customer’s changing nature of what is anything, you get what you pay
basically a lot of these products property. We have a very simple considered valuable continually for. You can just look at the size
are simply boxes with locks on, delivery form that points dealers drives the development of new of the bolts, how it’s made, and
and it is just a question of them towards what they need to products to protect them, as the thickness of the metal and
becoming familiar with what is think about: for example, one Jane Quinn points out: “The see that it doesn’t take an awful
available. of our cupboards is 1.95m tall, things that are determined to lot to be able to get into it.”
and has to be manoeuvred on need protection changes from Safes are generally graded
Basically, there are three types ‘scoots’, but an average door is year to year: it used to be just according to the value that
of safes: only 2m high, so that delivery cash, jewellery and watches. they are deemed to be able to
✱ Security safes needs a little extra consideration Now, it’s also electronic goods protect, and are then divided
✱ Fire-resistant safes for paper to make sure the cupboard will and data, because if sensitive into “formally tested” safes and
✱ Fire-resistant safes for data go through that door. So, our data is recorded and lost by those which are informally
delivery form highlights any an employee, it can lead to tested (which tend to be the
This is where, Jane Quinn potential problems like that: we dismissal. For schools, there large number of imports from
points out, a dealer can start. get that back from the dealer are very strict rules laid down China that go into DIY outlets).
After that, there are four or five and take a look at it with the for looking after exam papers, To try and set better standards
different questions which a carrier and make sure that these because they have a currency on for safes supplied to the UK,
dealer needs to ask to take them issues are resolved before we get social media, while arson attacks Eurosafe UK (www.eurosafeuk.
down the right path, such as the product out there.” on schools are also increasing.” org) was set up; its members are
a simple consideration of floor And there certainly appear Indeed, for offices, a key focus the main suppliers of safes to
loading or delivery logistics: to be good opportunities for at present is on fire-resistant the UK, and products carrying
“Dealers do have to think selling these products: economic cupboards and filing cabinets, AiS (Association of Insurance
realistically about the weight recovery has reinvigorated not least because one fire Surveyors) approval have
brigade statistic claims that 80% been tested and certified by
of companies that lose their establishments with the highest
records in a fire will be out of standards. Says Jane Quinn, “Fire-
business within two years. As a resistant products should also be
result, it is perhaps no surprise tested to recognised standards
that half of de Raat’s sales are such as NT tests and UL tests.
now in fire-resistant products. Looking for these standards
ensures that the end user is
Safe As Houses?
As Jane Quinn explains, part
of the dynamic of this industry
lies simply in staying one step
ahead of the crook. “One of the
things that we are up against in
the 21 century is the increased
st
availability of tools: previously,
it was quite difficult to get your
hands on an angle grinder –
now, you can easily buy one with
a diamond wheel. So we have to
look continually at the tools that
we use for testing products. It’s
not only a driver for innovation,
but also a driver for quality in the
market.”
For this reason, it is important
that OP dealers are aware of
the range of product qualities
available: says Jane Quinn,
“Anyone can walk into a
supermarket or DIY store and
pick up what they would call
a safe, but it’s not what my
industry would call a safe - it’s a

22 BOSS TODAY | November/December 2015

BOSS issue 30 security.indd 6 13/11/2015 11:25