FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Look inside the safe for the certification plate, a metal label usually fixed to the door. It shows the standard met, the grade or class, the certifying third-party body and a unique certificate number. To confirm it is genuine, check three things:
1. That the body is an accredited certifier.
2. That the grade or class matches what you expect.
3. That the certificate number on the label matches the one on the certificate itself.

A product marketed as “tested” but carrying no certification plate has not completed certification. Learn more about the certification institutes and our overview of certifications.

Certification can become invalid in a few situations. A safe certified to an EN standard and weighing below 1,000kg must be anchored according to the manufacturer’s instructions, or its certification is nullified. Unauthorised changes also invalidate it, such as changing the lock, altering the boltwork, replacing a seal or adding a deposit slot. Fitting a lock of a lower class than the safe requires has the same effect. To stay certified, have any service or change carried out by the original supplier or an accredited partner. Learn more about security standards and test procedures.

No. Testing and certification are two different things, and the difference matters. Independent testing is the first step: it proves a safe’s design met a standard at the point it was assessed. Certification is the full process: it adds regular production audits that confirm the safes being made and sold still match that tested design. So a “tested” safe, or one described as “tested in accordance with” a standard, has not necessarily been certified. Always look for certification. See our test procedures and glossary for more information.

A certified safe must use a certified lock of an equivalent level, so the lock matches the protection the safe is built to give. Without a certified lock, the safe’s own certification does not hold. Under EN 1143-1 and EN 1300, the burglary grade determines the lock class and the number of locks required. To confirm the correct lock for your model or the requirements under different standards, visit our security standards and test procedures, or contact a Chubbsafes expert.

Yes. A certified safe is certified as a complete unit, lock included, so changing the lock can invalidate the certification. The risk is fitting a lock that is not certified, or one of a lower class than the safe requires. The same applies to other unauthorised work, such as altering the boltwork or adding a deposit slot. If you need a lock changed or repaired, use the original supplier or an accredited partner to ensure the certification remains valid. Learn more about security standards.

Often, yes. A safe certified to an EN standard and weighing below 1,000kg must be anchored as the manufacturer instructs, and skipping this voids the certification, which can also affect your insurance cover. Heavier safes may be exempt, but always follow the certificate for your model. Bolting a safe down is also sound practice in its own right: a safe that is not fixed in place is far easier to carry off and attack somewhere private. Learn more about security standards.

Fire-resistant safes are tested independently for fire endurance to recognised standards such as EN 1047-1, EN 15659 or NT Fire 017. The safe is heated in a furnace that simulates a real fire, while the temperature inside is monitored to ensure the contents remain below the damage threshold. Many tests also include a cooling (or soak) period, as a safe stays hot after a fire is out. Some safes are also drop-tested to check they survive a floor collapsing in a fire. Read more about our test procedures.

No. A burglary-resistant safe is built to resist attack, not heat, so it offers only limited protection in a fire and for a short time. Fire protection is a separate property, certified separately. Documents and digital media also need different levels of protection, because paper and data are damaged at different temperatures. For genuine fire protection, choose a safe certified for fire resistance and match it to what you are storing. See our test procedures and security standards to learn more.

Cash and jewellery ratings are guideline values for what a safe is suitable to hold, and your insurer decides the cover that applies. The cash rating covers banknotes and cash; the jewellery rating covers jewellery, precious metals and similar items, and is usually a multiple of the cash rating. They are a starting point, not a guarantee. Your insurer determines the cover and may set their own figures based on your circumstances, the safe’s grade and where it is installed. Always confirm the limits with your insurer. Learn more about security standards and our certifications overview.

None. A grade and a class mean the same thing: a level of burglary resistance set by a standard, not two different measures. The wording differs because EN standards are published in English, German and French, and the French version of EN 1143-1 uses “classe” where the English and German use “grade”. This means that the wording can appear as either a grade or a class, giving the same level of protection. When comparing safes, look at the standard and the level it certifies, not whether the label reads grade or class. Learn more about our security standards.