Grade 1 safes and fire safes | EN 1143-1 burglary and fire resistant

Grade 1 safes are certified according to the European standard EN 1143-1 and provide resistance for a low risk profile — against an intruder with hand tools, crowbars and basic power tools with limited experience. Suitable for the secure storage of limited valuables and documents, in both private and professional environments.

During certification, specialised test laboratories attempt to force the safe open using mechanical tools such as hammers, chisels and crowbars, as well as power tools such as drills — under strictly controlled conditions by independent bodies such as ECB·S.

Under EN 1143-1, burglary resistance is expressed in Resistance Units (RU). For a Grade 1 safe, the resistance level is 50 RU for partial access and 80 RU for full access. Partial access refers to the creation of a limited opening through which a hand can be inserted, while full access implies complete access to the contents, for example by opening the door or creating a larger opening.

Grade 1 fire-resistant safes combine a certified basic level of burglary resistance according to EN 1143-1 with extensive fire protection. As burglary resistance in Grade 1 is achieved without extremely dense and heat-conducting construction materials, this grade allows the design to be strongly optimised for thermal insulation. This makes it possible to offer safes that meet stringent fire standards, including EN 1047-1.

Depending on the model and the applied fire standard, Grade 1 fire-resistant safes can provide 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes of protection for paper — and, for certain models, up to 120 minutes for data carriers. These safes are particularly suitable for applications where the protection of important documents, deeds, wills and digital media in the event of fire is essential, such as for notaries, legal professionals and administrative environments.

A clear reference in this segment is the Chubbsafes DuoGuard GI — certified burglary-resistant according to EN 1143-1 Grade 1 and fire-tested to the stringent EN 1047-1 standard with 60 minutes of protection for paper. The fire test includes not only prolonged exposure to high temperatures, but also an impact and controlled cooling phase simulating realistic fire scenarios. The range is available in various formats and can be equipped with mechanical or electronic locks.