Difference Between a Safe & a Residential Security Container

UL Ratings

• Founded in 1894, Underwriters Laboratories is an independent, not-for-profit testing institution. At UL a wide array of materials, products, devices and systems are rigorously tested for safety and integrity. Items susceptible to fire are tested for fire resistance thresholds and products used to deter criminal tampering are tested for security, and rated accordingly. RSCs and safes are attacked by a two-person crew via explosion, fire, hand/motorized tool tampering and a host of other methods of attack to test the security of the unit.

Residential Storage Containers

• Residential storage containers are able to withstand five minutes of consistent prying, drilling, punching, hammering and tampering attacks by the UL technicians. The steel constructed doors measure between 10 to 12 gauge in thickness.

Safes

• Safes offer a greater level of security from burglary and fire, but also come with a higher cost. Safes are rated by UL for burglary and are classified as either TL-15 and TL-30. TL-15 safes can withstand 15 minutes of consistent attack by power tools. The steel used to construct the walls and doors of a safe is between one-quarter inch to a full inch in thickness. There are also ratings for document and computer data protection from fire --- ranging from one to two hours of fire resistance.