Classes for burglary- and fire-resistant safes and fire cabinets (Belgium)

When storing valuable items securely, two risks are usually considered: burglary and fire. For this reason, European (and international) standards exist that objectively test safes and fire-resistant cabinets and classify them into classes. This allows for proper comparison in Belgium and alignment with insurance requirements.

This page provides a general overview. For more detailed information per class or standard, you can navigate to the dedicated pages.

Burglary-resistant classes: what do they mean?

A burglary-resistant safe or fire-resistant cabinet is tested by independent, accredited institutes in accordance with European standards such as EN 14450 and EN 1143-1. During these tests, experienced testers attempt to force entry in a controlled manner using defined methods and tools; the achieved resistance determines the final class.

Within EN 1143-1, two levels of attack are distinguished:

partial access: a limited opening, for example sufficient for hand access
full access: a complete opening allowing full access to the contents

Resistance against these attacks is expressed in Resistance Units (RU). The higher the RU values, the greater the burglary resistance.

In addition to the safe construction, the high-security locking system in accordance with EN 1300 plays an essential role. This standard classifies locks into classes A, B, C and D, with higher safe classes requiring stricter specifications regarding the type and number of locks.

Anchoring is also an integral part of burglary protection. Under EN 1143-1, anchoring points are included in the testing and certification process. Safes with a weight below 1,000 kg must always be properly and securely anchored in accordance with the specifications in order to maintain their certified class.

Overview of burglary-resistant classes (EN 14450 & EN 1143-1)

Standard & class	Indicative value	RU (partial / full)	Locks EN 1300	Risk level
EN 14450 – S1 More details	€ 2,500 / € 5,000	n/a	1× A	Very low
EN 14450 – S2 More details	€ 5,000 / € 9,000	n/a	1× A	Very low
EN 1143-1 – Class 0 More details	€ 7,500 / € 14,000	30 / 30	1× A	Low
EN 1143-1 – Class 1 More details	€ 10,000 / € 20,000	30 / 50	1× A	Low
EN 1143-1 – Class 2 More details	€ 25,000 / € 50,000	50 / 80	1× A	Low to medium
EN 1143-1 – Class 3 More details	€ 45,000 / € 90,000	80 / 120	1× B	Medium-high
EN 1143-1 – Class 4 More details	€ 75,000 / € 150,000	120 / 180	2× B	High
EN 1143-1 – Class 5 More details	€ 125,000 / € 250,000	180 / 270	2× B	Very high
EN 1143-1 – Class 6 More details	€ 250,000 / € 500,000	270 / 400	2× C	Extreme

Note on indicative values

The stated amounts are used in practice as a reference per category, typically distinguishing between cash and valuables (such as jewellery, precious metals and other high-value items).
These amounts are not added together.

The permitted value may be adjusted depending on the context, in particular when additional security measures are in place, in consultation with the insurer.

Fire-resistant classes: what do they mean?

Fire-resistant safes and cabinets are designed to limit the temperature rise inside during a fire, in order to protect the contents against heat for a defined period. This protection is objectively defined by European and international standards, which test fire-resistant cabinets and classify them into classes.

A fire-resistance class is determined by:

the duration of fire exposure (for example 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes),
the type of contents to be protected,
and the maximum permitted internal temperature, during and after the test.

Paper and digital media

The type of contents is crucial:

Paper can suffer irreversible damage at approximately 177 °C.
Digital media are far more sensitive and may already fail at around 55 °C.

A cabinet tested for paper therefore does not automatically provide sufficient protection for digital data carriers.

Fire-resistant classes for paper

Standard / class	Duration	External exposure	Max. internal temperature	Drop test	Cooling phase
EN 15659 – LFS 30P	30 min	approx. 850 °C	≤ 170 °C	No	No
EN 15659 – LFS 60P	60 min	approx. 850 °C	≤ 170 °C	No	No
NT Fire 017 – 60P	60 min	approx. 927 °C	≤ 170 °C	No	No
NT Fire 017 – 90P	90 min	approx. 927 °C	≤ 170 °C	No	No
NT Fire 017 – 120P	120 min	approx. 927 °C	≤ 170 °C	No	No
EN 1047-1 – S 60P	60 min	approx. 1,090 °C	≤ 170 °C	Yes	Yes
EN 1047-1 – S 120P	120 min	approx. 1,090 °C	≤ 170 °C	Yes	Yes
UL 72 – Class 350	1–2 h	approx. 1,000 °C	≤ 177 °C	Optional	Yes

Fire-resistant classes for data

Standard / class	Duration	External exposure	Max. internal temperature	Drop test	Cooling phase
NT Fire 017 – 60D	60 min	approx. 927 °C	≤ 55 °C	No	No
NT Fire 017 – 90D	90 min	approx. 927 °C	≤ 55 °C	No	No
NT Fire 017 – 120D	120 min	approx. 927 °C	≤ 55 °C	No	No
EN 1047-1 – S 60D / DIS	60 min	approx. 1,090 °C	≤ 55 °C	Yes	Yes
EN 1047-1 – S 120D / DIS	120 min	approx. 1,090 °C	≤ 55 °C	Yes	Yes
UL 72 – Class 150	1–2 h	approx. 1,000 °C	≤ 66 °C	Optional	Yes
UL 72 – Class 125	1–2 h	approx. 1,000 °C	≤ 52 °C	Optional	Yes

Important nuance

Standards such as EN 1047-1 and UL 72 are considered more stringent because they assess not only the fire phase, but also the temperature development during the cooling phase. For EN 1047-1, a mandatory drop test is also part of the certification.

By contrast, DIN 4102 relates solely to the fire behaviour of construction materials and provides no indication of content protection (paper or data) in safes or fire-resistant cabinets.

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