Frequently Asked Questions

Buying a safe can be a daunting task and you may have many questions floating around your head.

In order to help you a little, we’ve compiled a series of FAQs to help!

Why choose SMP in the first place?

This may be one of your most pressing questions!

We’ve been manufacturing our very own range of high-security, high-quality safety solutions for over 45 years. All of which we started in our facilities in Telford aka, “the birthplace of industry”.

Our staff are experts in the field, with an extensive wealth of extensive knowledge.

All of our products are made from high-quality steel and undergo rigorous testing. As a result, your valuables are protected to the fullest extent possible, and you are left with peace of mind.

What safe is best for my needs?

Picking a safe is largely dependent on the value of the items you’d like to protect. Our higher-graded safes (Grades 3-5) are best suited for commercial security requirements. The higher the cash rating the more protection for your valuable!

We also offer a wide range of luxury and bespoke safes. Therefore, we can design a safe to fit your design needs as well. Choose from a range of interior and exterior changes, add watch-winders and have whatever locking mechanism you desire.

Learn more about graded safes! 

What is a Eurograde safe?

Eurograde safes refer to safes which have been tested and certified to provide secure storage for cash and valued goods with the ‘European Standards for Safes’.

Our range of UK-manufactured safes is available in Grades 0 to 5. Each grade offers a recommended cash and valuables cover rating.

See the table below for the full breakdown of the cash and valuables ratings attributed to each grade of safe:

0 / £6,000 / £60,000

1 / £10,000 / £100,000

2 / £17,500 / £175,000

3 / £35,000 / £350,000

4 / £60,000 / £600,000

5 / £100,000 / £1,000,000

Which lock type is the best?

A variety of locking options are available for our secure storage solutions, including manual safe locks, electronic safe locks, and combination safe locks.

However, it isn’t a case of “which lock type is the best”, but more which lock type best suits your needs/preference.

All of our locking options have been tested to ensure they provide a secure barrier against unauthorised access.

What benefits do deposit facilities provide?

Deposit safes offer a secure solution to ensure that valued items can be loaded into the safe without requiring access to the existing contents of the safe.

These solutions are ideal in many Commercial Security settings such as retail, banking and governmental environments. By installing a deposit safe in your business facility, you ensure your safety and are able to deposit money extremely efficiently.

What are fire ratings?

Paper documents and digital media are classified by fire ratings according to the time they would be protected from damage in the event of a fire.

When looking to purchase a safe, always look for fire ratings that provide information on independent testing and certification. In the absence of the words ‘tested and certified,’ you may be getting an inferior product.

What does AiS approved mean?

AiS stands for The Association of Insurance Surveyors. The AiS is a well-known and respected body of individual risk control and reduction experts who work within the insurance sector throughout the UK.

The mainstay of the AiS is to seek continuous improvement in all aspects of personal and property protection against insurable risks through collection, collation and dissemination of information on products and services affecting best practices in the field of risk surveying and consultancy.

Our graded safes being AiS approved simply means that they uphold the standards set for acquiring insurance cover.

Who are the LPCB and what testing do they provide?

LPCB stands for the Loss Prevention Certification Board, which has been working with industry and insurance for more than 100 years to set the standards needed to ensure that fire and security products perform effectively.

Our security solutions are manufactured to fulfil the requirements of the LPCB and undergo independent testing and certification to ensure that exceptional security standards and maintained, and the safes meet the standards for their corresponding cash & valuables ratings, fire ratings and insurance approval.

We hope this may have answered any questions you may have!

If not, don’t hesitate to go give us a call at 01952 585673 or visit our website today!