Commercial Drop Safe | Why Your Business Should Have One & Types

How many times have the movies shown burglars breaking into corner shops and demanding all their earnings be handed over? Too many times to keep track of.

They show this because it’s true. Businesses deal with cash and valuable information daily, both of which need to be kept safe from the wrong hands at all times.

Businesses are an attractive target for burglars with commercial burglaries becoming more common than ever as the objects that are usually stolen, such as from a store, are generally worth a lot more than what they would find at a residential property.

Every business is prone to become a target by burglars regardless of the size and type, which is why all business owners must implement the necessary security measures to safeguard their properties and employees from such risks.

One such way to keep your valuables safe is by installing commercial drop safes.

Read on to find out what commercial drop safes are, how they work, their various types, why businesses should have them, and much more:

WHAT ARE COMMERCIAL DROP SAFES?

Commercial drop safes, also called deposit safes, are a type of security safe installed in various business setups to safeguard cash and important documents from thieves and burglars.

They are also used to temporarily store items until they can be transferred to a bigger, more secure safe, and are mostly found in businesses such as banks, postal offices, and retail stores, where deposits are made at regular intervals.

They normally have a slot, either on the top or front, or a drawer, depending on the size of the safe, that allows employees to make deposits into them without even having to open them.

This not only helps keep the deposits private and safe from outside threats but also restricts employees from being able to see or steal whatever’s inside.

Only authorised people, most likely the business owners and managers, have the keys or security codes to access the contents of the safe.

HOW DO DROP SAFES WORK?

Drop safes are virtually impenetrable and a great way to keep petty thieves away from your cash reserves and confidential information before they can be safely deposited in the bank.

They are usually bolted to the floor or wall making it impossible to be stolen quickly and without creating a commotion.

Thanks to the inability to open them without authorised access and keeping the contents hidden from view, even from the drawers and slots, thieves and disgruntled employees cannot break into them and are unable to fish out the money or other items of value.

Drop safes that are larger in size are usually installed in the owner’s or manager’s office, whereas for businesses that require regular deposits, such as at the grocery store, smaller versions are placed with each cash register.

They are convenient and extremely easy to use, allowing deposits to be made within seconds, simply by slipping in the bills or documents inside through the slots or drawers.

This quick transaction enables the employees to keep their cash drawers almost empty no matter how busy they are with work, which is very important because thieves can easily access said drawers, even if they are locked. Drop safes provide a higher level of security, much more than any cash drawer could ever.

TYPES OF COMMERCIAL DROP SAFES

Commercial drop safes come in a variety of styles, sizes, and types, and several are available in the market these days. They provide an efficient and cost-effective way to safeguard cash and business documents.

Some of the commercial drop safes you can consider for your business include:

Under Counter/Desk drop safes

In addition to keeping unauthorised access at bay, these type of drop safes are very discreet and provide incredible ease of depositing cash into the safe.

As the name suggests, they are placed under the counter or cash register to keep them hidden from direct view and are ideal for businesses dealing with regular physical inflow of cash such as banks, supermarkets, and retail stores.

Digital drop safes

These drop safes differ in the type of locking mechanism they employ to keep the contents protected. Instead of using a key to open and lock it, digital drop safes are operated via a code entered through a digital keypad.

Kind of how you would enter your pin in an ATM and access your bank account, these drop safes eliminate the need for keys entirely, which are prone to be lost or stolen.

Time delay drop safes

Time delay drop safes open after a set number of minutes from when the access code is entered reducing the risk of theft because if there’s one thing thieves are short on, it’s time.

With this feature, even if they manage to break into the safe, they are left waiting for it to open before they can steal anything.

This wait gives people the opportunity to alert the authorities and catch the criminals right then and there if they wish to wait out the delay time, which is highly unlikely.

REASONS YOUR BUSINESS SHOULD HAVE A COMMERCIAL DROP SAFE

There are several reasons why your business must invest in a commercial drop safe. Here are the most important ones:

Security

Cash drawers and registers are easy to open and raid. Thieves simply barge in and demand the employees to hand over all the cash in them.

But what if there was no cash in the registers? And what if no one on the premises had access to the reserves?

Drop safes protect against theft and help keep the contents in them safe till they can be shifted someplace else, like at the bank.

Employee theft prevention

Employees stealing from their workplaces are not unheard of. In fact, it is a common issue faced by all businesses with 9,835 cases of employee theft reported in the country last year.

It is fairly easy for employees to steal from cash tills and registers because they have full access to them.

The use of commercial drop safes restricts employee access to the cash reserves eliminating the need to even open them to make a deposit, and in turn eliminating the need to worry about employee theft.

Lower insurance premiums

Taking the right safety and security measures help reduce your insurance premiums and support your claim in the event of a mishap.

Installing a commercial drop safe in your business shows that you are taking the right steps in safeguarding your assets from theft.

It not only helps save money in the form of prevented thefts but also in the form of lower premiums. Drop safes are relatively affordable and an extremely smart investment for your business.

Peace of mind

Constantly worrying about the safety of your valuables can be stressful and affect your productivity at work.

Knowing that all your cash, important files, documents, and valuables are secured in a safe that cannot be viewed and accessed by anyone but you help you sleep better.

The reinforced security and protection against theft, both external and internal, make commercial drop safes a smart investment, definitely worth giving a thought to if you haven’t already.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT COMMERCIAL DROP SAFE?

Now that you know all about the different types of commercial drop safes and how they can benefit your business, it’s time to choose the right one for your needs.

Making the decision is based on a variety of factors that include:

Size and weight

Its usage and where you plan to locate the drop safe will determine its size and weight. There are various sizes available for businesses with smaller ones usually placed under the counters near cash registers and other bigger ones located in the manager’s or owner’s office.

The small ones are easier to carry, very portable, and great for business owners wanting to regularly empty them and deposit the contents in the bank.

There are ones specifically made for cash deposits whereas others are used for various items such as business documents and other paperwork.

Type and level of protection

Some drop safes some with a single lock and key pairing, some with a dual keying system, whereas others are accessed digitally providing an even higher level of protection.

For better control, they are also available with electronic audit locks that document each attempt made to access the contents with a detailed history of all the transactions.

This feature is designed specifically to prevent internal theft making it easier for owners to know who accessed the safe and what transactions were made by people with access privileges.

Some businesses only require protection from theft while others require protection from all sorts of threats including natural disasters such as fires, floods, and earthquakes.

There are ratings associated with every drop safe that determine the level of resistance it has. This is a huge deciding factor for the type of drop safe your business needs and the level of protection required.

Budget

The cost and your budget are something you need to carefully consider. After all, your safe needs to fit in your budget too.

The features of a drop safe determine its price and how expensive it will be, and your business’s budget will determine how much you can spend on it.

There are a lot of options available for all kinds of budgets. Quite obviously, the more you pay, the more you get, and a lower price means the absence of some great and necessary features.

Just make sure you consider this as an investment rather than a cost. After all, it’s just one initial payment and you’re good to go for a long time, except for a few routine maintenance checks.

OTHER TYPES OF COMMERCIAL SAFES

There are various types of commercial safes, other than drop safes, used by different businesses depending on the level and nature of protection they require.

Also known as security safes, they differ from drop safes in that they need to be opened to make a deposit and do not contain a slot or drawer. The different types include:

Office safes

Offices deal with a lot of paperwork and have a lot of important documents to protect. Some are confidential having sensitive information that must be kept away from the outside world.

Because of their importance, they must also be protected from fires and floods. Even the smallest fire or water leakage could put valuable information at risk.

Office safes are a good choice since these are fire and flood-resistant, offering protection from both, as well as internal and external theft.

Most models are fitted with electronic locks, ensuring restricted access, and can be stand-alone or installed in between walls.

Data safes

Important data is mostly digitised these days since it’s easier to store and manage.

Instead of securing thousands of pieces of paper, business owners now have the responsibility to keep USB’s, hard drives, and other forms of electronic data safe.

Data safes, made specifically for this purpose, are fire-resistant and have thicker insulation that protects the contents not just from unauthorised access but also from extreme temperatures, magnetic fields, fire, smoke, and dust.

They are usually smaller in size and the fire rating on these safes is higher as compared to other safes.

Hotel safes

Hotel safes are, as the name suggests, installed in hotels and provided to guests staying over.

They are used to store valuables that the guests bring along with them to ensure they are kept safe. These include personal items, cash, and travel and business documents.

To be honest, they do not offer the best protection, but it’s better than having nothing at all.

They come with a master key or code that the hotel owners/managers use to gain access in case the guests lose their keys or forget their access code. Some models also automatically lockout if too many wrong attempts are made to open them.

Vault

A vault, also known as a strong room, is different from a conventional safe in that it’s not just a secure box installed in a room. Instead, it is the entire room.

Secure vaults are usually found in banks, museums, and hotels, and are closely guarded by heavy doors with complex mechanisms, making sure no unauthorised access is made.

WHY CHOOSE CALDER SECURITY FOR YOUR COMMERCIAL SAFE NEEDS?

It is always recommended to have your business safe, both drop safes and security safes, installed by a professional security company to ensure that it is safe to use.

We, at Calder Security, are members of the Master Locksmith Association (MLA) and are familiar with a wide range of safes, cash boxes, and strong boxes.

Our SSAIB contractors can help you assess your business’s needs and recommend a suitable safe perfect for your requirements.

We also offer business safe opening services since misplacing the keys, forgetting the code or failure of the safe itself can all lead to the contents of the safe being inaccessible.

By design, of course, safes are very difficult to access in these circumstances and you need a professional safe engineer. Our Calder specialists can open most safes and can restore them to full working order afterwards.

Commercial safes are deliberately designed not to be moved for added security so what do you do when you need to move one to a different room, a new location, or remove it completely?

Because of their size and weight, we would strongly advise you not to try and move them yourself, unless they are the small, portable kind.

We are experienced safe engineers and can offer you this service. You can count on us for your business safe removal and relocation services.

As good as any commercial safe is, they can develop faults and even break – especially if they haven’t been serviced annually, as is recommended.

Our repair and maintenance services will ensure that your commercial safes are always in optimal health providing you with the best security.

Photo by Gabriel Wasylko on Unsplash

Why your business should have a commercial drop safe