UL Fire and Impact Ratings
A lot of ill-defined yet important-sounding terms like Fireproof, UL-Rated, Compliance, Disaster Recovery are thrown around with great abandon by various marketers. SafetyFile’s experienced highly knowledgeable team of Vital Records Protection consultants has put concise information to help the buyer make an informed decision, in the meantime, use this page as a basic guide to get you started.
When it comes to a buying decision, many corporate purchasing personnel are increasingly confronted with a choice: "UL-rated safe or file vs. an imported non-rated safe or file “After reviewing the information on this website and consulting with SafetyFile’s staff experts on Vital Records Protection, the choice becomes obvious: it is imperative to seek products that are tested by Underwriters' Laboratory (UL) or other nationally known independent testing labs - absolutely steer clear of cheap, imported equipment with “manufacturers” or “non-independent” ratings. One trick to watch out for is a product that claims to be "built to" a certain UL class specification claim. This marketing-driven wordplay leads the customer to falsely believe they are in fact buying a UL rating, but in reality it's just the manufacturer's claim -- UL has never tested it, and how it will stand up to a real fire is dependant on the trust you have in the manufacturer.
Overview of all UL ratings
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is a non-profit organization that tests hundreds of thousands of manufactured products to ensure they perform to a certain standard. To make sure the manufacturer adheres to the standard, UL will perform unannounced inspections at the manufacturing locations, usually conducted several times per year.
A product with an Underwriters Laboratories mark is said to be "UL Listed.”
Installing a safe or file without a UL mark could be considered gross negligence in some circles, and may violate insurance requirements or government regulations (i.e. HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley)
UL Fire Ratings
With fireproof safes and files, a UL listing specifies the standard of protection the fireproof container provides its contents when exposed to fire. The file or safe is subject to various test conditions that will ultimately expose all six sides to fire. This is accomplished by putting the file cabinet or safe in a furnace that heats all exposed surfaces to the temperature conditions specified in the test standard.
Underwriters Laboratories uses two common different listings* to evaluate records protection equipment:
1. Class 350-rated files and safes protect paper products
3. Class 125-rated files and data safes protect tape media.
*One of SafetyFile’s consultants can assist you in determining the level of protection required for your specific situation.
UL Class 350 1-hour
Examples: Fire Resistant File Cabinets#)
The UL Class 350 1-hour fire rating means that when exposed to external temperatures of over 1700°, the internal temperature of the safe will not exceed 350° for at least one hour - a product with this class of listing is designed to protect paper records.
UL Class 350 2-hour
Examples: (FireKing 2 hour files)
The UL Class 350 2-hour fire rating means that when exposed to external temperatures of over 1700°, the internal temperature of the safe will not exceed 350° for at least 2 hours – also designed to protect paper records, but at a higher level of protection than the class one hour product
UL Class 125 1-hour
Examples: (Media Safes)
The UL Class 125 1-hour fire rating means that when exposed to external temperatures of over 1700°, the internal temperature of the safe will not exceed 125° for at least one hour – 125° is the temperature at which digital media is ruined, so product with this class of listing is designed to protect records stored digitally such as backup tapes, data cartridges, CD's, diskettes, and microfiche. Additionally, the UL Class 125 rating also does not allow humidity levels above 80%. (humidity levels greater than 80% can damage digital media) and provides protection against weak magnetic fields.
UL Class 125 2-hour
Examples: (Media Safes)
The UL Class 125 2-hour fire rating means that when exposed to external temperatures of over 1700°, the internal temperature of the safe will not exceed 125° for at least two hours – 125° is the temperature at which digital media is ruined, so product with this class of listing is designed to protect records stored digitally such as backup tapes, data cartridges, CD's, diskettes, and microfiche.
UL Class 125 3-hour
Examples: (Media Safes)
The UL Class 125 3-hour fire rating means that when exposed to external temperatures up to 1925°, the internal temperature of the safe will not exceed 125° for at least three hours – this class product is the ultimate in vital records protection designed to protect records stored digitally such as backup tapes, data cartridges, CD's, diskettes, and microfiche
UL Impact Rated
Examples: ( Impact rated file Cabinets) Fire very commonly results in building or structural collapse – a impact rated file or safe must be able to withstand a fall from multiple stories. For a UL listed safe to be labeled “Impact Rated” it is heated to 1,550 degrees Fahrenheit in a furnace, raised three stories and dropped onto a pile of bricks and then returned to the furnace and reheated. In order to meet the listing requirement, temperatures inside can't have risen above 350 degrees Fahrenheit and sample papers left inside must be readable.