Property Safety - Does Your Building Need a Key Safe?
Managing a commercial building comes with a host of responsibilities including prioritising the safety of everyone and everything inside. Restricting access during certain hours or allowing only authorised personnel to move freely within a building is vital, and one of the main reasons why some building managers choose to install a key safe. But does your property need one? And, do they present additional safety risks of their own? Read on to discover more.
What Is a Key Safe?
These durable and strong boxes are designed to safely store numerous keys used to access a building. They are a practical way to ensure that pre-authorised individuals can enter the property when needed, without the need for 24/7 security or an in-person handover. Key safes are generally installed on an external wall of the property, onto a secure substrate such as brick or concrete. To access them, an individual must input the assigned combination code before ensuring the door is fully closed after use.
Why Would I Need a Key Safe?
There are numerous reasons why a key safe may be a viable addition to your commercial building, including:
- Providing access to assigned contractors out-of-hours
- Ensuring management can open up and access the building during the day
- Allowing emergency services to enter the building quickly, if required
- Allowing care professionals to access residential buildings when needed
- Reducing the risk for costly key replacement in the event of loss
Key safes provide a secure means for more assigned people to enter a property safely and when required.
Are They Safe?
Leaving keys to a property close to the relevant door can feel counterproductive to safety and is the key reason why people are often turned off from the idea of purchasing one. However, with proper care and knowledge, the benefits can far outweigh this risk. There are two main ways that someone may access the keys held here - by entering the code and by trying to break open the safe.
Ensure that the code that you enter is unique and changed regularly - particularly after an event where an external individual has needed access. Most codes are 5-6 digits long and, if created securely, will be incredibly hard to crack. As for damaging the key safe for access, these durable metal boxes are designed to withstand impact. And, the act of trying to break into one with a hammer or chisel will be extremely noisy, altering locals to an issue.
Key safes can be an effective way of ensuring access to a property is easy and well-managed. We recommend installing yours in a discrete location that is not at eye level or directly near to a front door. At Sealant & Tools Direct, we have a range of key safes from leading brands such as Silverline and Fort Knox. With the strength and durability to support your commercial properties safety, you can find them on our website or contact our specialist team for more advice and support.