How to Check If a Safe Is Genuinely Rated

Here is how to check safe rating claims quickly: find the label or plate on the safe, usually inside the door or on the door edge, and note the standard, grade or cash rating, model and serial number. Then match those details to the manufacturer’s documentation and, for independently certified safes, to the certification body’s records. If there is no label, no paperwork and no named test body, treat the safe as unrated until proven otherwise.

A genuine rating matters for two reasons: it tells you how much protection you are actually getting, and it is what your insurer will ask about after a claim. This guide walks through the checks we use. For background on what each rating means, start with our overview of safe ratings in Australia.

How to Check Safe Rating Details in Five Steps

1. Find the label or plate

Most rated safes carry an identification label or plate. Common places are the inside face of the door, the door edge, the inside of the body near the hinge, or a maker’s plate on the front. Older Australian safes often have a metal plate riveted to the door. Open the door fully and check with a torch, since labels are often small.

Do not remove or cover a label. If it is lost, it can be much harder to prove the safe’s rating later.

2. Read what the label says

A useful label or plate will show some or all of the following:

• Manufacturer and model name or number
• Serial number
• The standard tested to, such as EN 1143-1, EN 14450 or UL 687, or a reference to AS/NZS 3809
• The grade, class or level achieved
• The certification body and certificate number
• Year of manufacture and weight
• Any fire rating, with the standard, minutes and content type (paper or data)

A cash rating is not always printed on the safe. It is often published in the manufacturer’s brochure or the supplier’s listing instead, which is why step 3 matters.

3. Match it to the manufacturer’s documentation

Find the specification sheet, brochure, manual or original invoice for the exact model. Check that the model number, size and lock type match what is in front of you. Suffix letters often indicate the lock option. In our range, for example, the CMI MiniGuard MG3A D has a digital lock and the MG3A K a key lock, and both are listed in the same cash rating band. Make sure a rating quoted online belongs to your exact model, not a larger or heavier one in the same family.

4. Verify the certificate where one exists

Independent certification bodies keep records of what they have certified. VdS in Germany publishes certificate details online, showing the product series, the standard edition and the grade. For safes certified by ECB·S, CNPP or another body, contact that body or the manufacturer with the certificate number. Our guide to European EN 1143-1 grades and how they compare with cash ratings explains these certifiers in more detail.

5. Confirm the cash rating with your supplier and insurer

Ask the supplier how the safe is rated in Australia, then put that figure to your insurer. The insurer decides what it will accept for your circumstances.

Red Flags That a Rating May Not Be Real

Marketing language is the most common source of confusion. Watch for:

• “Heavy duty”, “solid steel” or “high security” with no standard, grade or cash figure attached.
• “Insurance approved” with no dollar figure and no insurer named. Insurance approval is set by each insurer and policy, not by the safe.
• “Fireproof” with no test standard or minutes. Fire safes are fire resistant, rated for a set time.
• “Tested to” with no test body. A manufacturer testing its own product is not the same as independent certification.
• A rating that does not fit the safe. A very light safe claiming a very high rating deserves questions.
• Missing, painted-over or loose labels, or a label with no serial number.
• Visible repairs such as weld marks or filled holes on the door, or a lock that does not look original.

Our article on cheap safes versus quality safes shows how low-cost units differ from rated ones in construction.

Checking the Rating on a Used Safe

Used safes can be excellent value, especially ex-bank and ex-commercial units built to a high standard. They also need the most careful checking, because history matters:

• Identify the maker and model from the plate. Brands long sold in Australia, such as Chubb, Lord and CMI, are usually easy to trace.
• Ask about its history. Has it been opened by force, drilled, repaired or had its lock replaced?
• Check the lock. A replacement lock of a lower specification can affect how an insurer views the original rating.
• Check the fire seals and door fit if the safe has a fire rating.

Our guide to inspecting a second-hand safe has a wider checklist. In our own used and ex-bank safe range, we list a cash rating band where it is known. The Pre-Used Chubb Series 5 4220, for example, was listed from around $4,999 in the $100,001 to $200,000 band at the time of writing.

If a used safe has been forced open in the past, or its lock is not working properly, have it assessed before relying on it. Our safe repair and opening technicians can inspect locks and bolt work and advise on whether repairs are needed.

What to Send Your Insurer

Once you have checked the rating, give your insurer enough detail to confirm cover. We suggest sending:

1. Brand, model and serial number
2. Clear photos of the label or plate and of the safe in position
3. The manufacturer’s specification sheet showing the rating
4. Your purchase invoice
5. Installation details: where it is, whether it is bolted down and to what type of floor
6. Lock type, and whether you have a monitored alarm

Ask the insurer to confirm in writing what it will cover in that safe. Our list of questions to ask your insurer before buying a safe covers anchoring, alarm and record-keeping conditions in more depth.

Government Containers Are Checked Differently

SCEC-approved security containers for classified information are not checked by cash rating. Approval is recorded in the Security Equipment Evaluated Products List, which is available to government agencies and approved users rather than the public. If you buy for an agency, your security adviser can confirm a model’s approval. Our guide to the differences between SCEC Class A, B and C containers explains how the classes work.

For new safes, the simplest option is to buy a current model from a supplier that publishes the rating for each product. Our home safe range lists the cash rating band and any fire rating on every product page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the rating label on a safe?

Most rated safes have a label or plate on the inside face of the door, on the door edge, or inside the body near the hinge. Older Australian safes often have a metal maker’s plate riveted to the door. Open the door fully and use a torch. If you cannot find any label, check the manufacturer’s documentation using the model and serial number.

What should I do if my safe has no rating label?

Try to identify the maker and model from any badge, plate or serial number, then contact the manufacturer or supplier for its specification. If the safe cannot be identified, treat it as unrated and tell your insurer. For valuable contents, it is often worth replacing an unidentified safe with a current model that has a published cash rating.

Does “insurance approved” mean a safe is rated?

Not on its own. Insurance approval depends on each insurer and policy, so the phrase means little without a dollar figure or grade and the name of the standard or test body. Ask the seller for the cash rating or grade and the documentation behind it, then confirm with your own insurer what it will cover in that safe.

Does a safe keep its rating when it is sold second-hand?

A genuine, identifiable and unmodified safe usually keeps the rating it was built and certified to. Problems arise when labels are missing, the safe has been forced open and repaired, or the lock has been replaced with a lower-specification unit. Send the details and photos to your insurer and ask whether it will accept the safe at that rating.

Bring Us Your Safe Rating Questions

If you are unsure what a label means, send us a photo and the model number and we will help you interpret it. You can also compare rated safes in person at our showroom at 38 Barrie Rd, Tullamarine, with over 350 new and used safes on display. Call 0409 860 011 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or get in touch with our safe specialists.