European Safe Grades (EN 1143-1) vs Australian Cash Ratings

An EN 1143-1 grade is a European burglary-resistance rating for safes, ATM safes, strongroom doors and strongrooms, running from Grade 0 up to Grade XIII. An Australian cash rating is different: it is a dollar figure that insurers use as a guide to how much cash a safe is suited to hold. There is no official table that converts one into the other, so a European graded safe sold in Australia is usually listed with a cash rating as well, and your insurer has the final word.

This article explains what the grades mean, who certifies them and how they sit alongside Australian cash ratings. For the full picture of cash, fire, AS/NZS 3809 and SCEC ratings in one place, see our safe ratings explained guide.

What an EN 1143-1 Grade Means

EN 1143-1 is titled Secure storage units: Requirements, classification and methods of test for resistance to burglary, Part 1: Safes, ATM safes, strongroom doors and strongrooms. It is the main European standard for burglary-resistant safes and is used by certification bodies across Europe.

Testing is done in an accredited laboratory. Technicians attack the safe with defined categories of tools and record the effort needed to make a partial opening and a complete opening. Those results are converted into resistance units, and the safe earns a grade only if it reaches the minimum score for that grade. Because every lab follows the same method, grades are comparable between manufacturers.

The grade scale

Chubbsafes lists EN 1143-1 as covering Grade 0 to Grade XIII. In practice the scale splits into two parts:

• Lower grades are where free-standing safes sit, from Grade 0 for basic tested protection up through the middle grades used in retail, offices and cash handling.
• Higher grades are used for strongroom doors and strongrooms. The German body VdS, for example, publishes a guideline specifically for strongrooms of resistance grade V to XIII.

Each step up means the safe withstood more tool attack in testing. A Grade III safe is not simply “a bit stronger” than a Grade I. The difference can be significant in materials, door thickness and weight.

EN 14450 and lock classes

Below Grade 0 sits EN 14450, a separate standard for secure safe cabinets with two levels, S1 and S2. These are lighter units for lower-value storage. Locks are classified under EN 1300 in classes A to D, and a graded safe is tested and certified with a lock of a suitable class fitted. Replacing it with a lower-class lock can affect how an insurer views the grade.

Who Tests and Certifies European Safes

A grade is only as good as the body that issued it. The best known certifiers are:

• ECB·S (European Certification Body), which certifies products to EN 1143-1, EN 14450, the EN 1300 lock standard and fire standards including EN 1047-1 and EN 15659, according to its certification guideline annex.
• VdS in Germany, which publishes certificates online showing the product, the standard edition and the grade awarded.
• CNPP in France, which issues the A2P mark.

A certified safe typically carries a label inside the door showing the certification body, the grade and a certificate number, along with the model and serial number. Our guide to reading a safe rating label and confirming it is real explains what to look for and how to cross-check the certificate.

How Australian Cash Ratings Work

Australian buyers are more used to cash ratings than grades. A cash rating is a dollar figure, generally quoted for an unsupported environment with no monitored alarm, that suggests how much cash the safe is suited to hold. It reflects the safe’s construction and resistance to attack, and suppliers and manufacturers publish it to help buyers and insurers.

The local burglary standard, AS/NZS 3809:1998 Safes and strongrooms, is listed by Standards Australia as withdrawn, with no replacement edition. It is still widely referred to by manufacturers, insurers and the federal Protective Security Policy Framework, but it is not a current standard. For the difference between cash and fire protection, our article on choosing between a cash rating and a fire rating is a useful companion.

EN 1143-1 Grade vs Cash Rating: Is There a Conversion?

No official conversion exists between EN 1143-1 grades and Australian cash ratings. Insurers in Europe publish their own recommended values for each grade, and Chubbsafes notes that those value limits vary by country and insurer and should always be confirmed. Figures quoted in euros for a European market do not transfer automatically to an Australian policy.

What you will see in Australia is a graded safe that also carries a cash rating. The table shows how some European graded safes in our range are currently listed. Treat it as indicative only, not as a conversion chart.

Prices change and larger sizes cost more, so check the product page for current pricing. You can view the Chubb Europa Grade II 2CK and the Chubb Europa Grade V 5CK online, or browse our wider range of high security safes for other safes listed with Australian cash ratings.

Some locally sold safes are also certified to European grades. Our older article on torch and drill resistant safes describes one example that combines an EN 1143-1 grade with an Australian cash rating.

Why the Same Grade Can Be Treated Differently

Two people with identical Grade III safes can end up with different cover. The grade describes the safe, while the insurer looks at the whole situation:

• Location: home or business, and how visible or accessible the safe is.
• Anchoring: whether the safe is bolted down to a suitable floor or wall.
• Alarm and monitoring: a monitored alarm can change what an insurer will accept.
• Contents: cash, jewellery and other valuables may carry different limits.

That is why we suggest getting the insurer’s requirement first. Our checklist of questions to put to your insurer about a safe covers the details to confirm in writing.

Buying a European Graded Safe in Australia

1. Ask for the certificate. Get the certification body and certificate number, and check that the label inside the door matches the model and grade.
2. Confirm the Australian cash rating. Ask the supplier how the safe is listed locally, then check that figure with your insurer.
3. Check the fire rating separately. EN 1143-1 does not test fire resistance. Some graded safes also carry a fire rating under EN 1047-1 or another standard, and some do not.
4. Check the lock. Make sure any lock option is one the manufacturer offers for that grade.
5. Think about weight and installation. Higher grades are heavy. Our safe installation team can assess access, floor type and anchoring before delivery.
6. Consider service and parts. Choose a brand with local support so locks and parts can be serviced in Australia.

You may also see US ratings such as UL 687 TL-30 or TRTL-30X6 on imported or ex-bank safes. These are a separate system again, so treat them the same way: identify the rating, confirm it with documentation, and ask your insurer what it will accept.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does EN 1143-1 Grade I mean?

Grade I is one of the lower grades in the European burglary standard for safes. It means the safe reached the minimum resistance score for Grade I when attacked with defined tools in an accredited laboratory test. It is a step above Grade 0. How much an insurer will cover in a Grade I safe depends on the insurer and your circumstances.

Do Australian insurers accept European graded safes?

Many insurers will consider a safe certified to EN 1143-1, but acceptance and limits are set by each insurer and policy. Ask your insurer before buying, give it the brand, model, grade and certificate number, and ask whether it relies on the grade, the Australian cash rating, or both. Get its answer in writing.

Is an EN 1143-1 grade better than an Australian cash rating?

They describe different things. An EN 1143-1 grade is the result of a standardised burglary test by a certification body. An Australian cash rating is a dollar guide for how much cash a safe suits. A grade is easier to verify independently, while a cash rating is often what Australian insurers ask about first. Ideally you want both.

Does an EN 1143-1 graded safe protect against fire?

Not necessarily. EN 1143-1 only tests burglary resistance. Fire protection is tested separately under standards such as EN 1047-1, EN 15659 or NT Fire 017. Some graded safes carry a fire rating as well, and others do not, so check the specification for a fire rating in minutes and the content type it protects.

Compare Graded Safes in Our Showroom

The quickest way to understand the difference between grades is to see the door thickness and bolt work up close. Visit our showroom at 38 Barrie Rd, Tullamarine, where we have over 350 new and used safes on display, call 0409 860 011 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm), or send us your grade or cash rating question and we will help you match a safe to your insurer’s requirements.