It seems as if at least once a week the news reports some business somewhere burning to the ground. It’s easy enough to ignore it, just switch the channels and breathe a sigh of relief that things like that never happen to you . . . but just last week, the unfortunate owner of that fire-gutted business felt the same way: Things like that just don’t happen to guys like me. At least not yet. But they could. Ruin can strike from anywhere at any time; a broken gas main caused by an earthquake or careless construction workers; a short in the building’s wiring; a faulty fuse; a tornado; a lightning strike; arson; or any combination of countless accidents or natural disasters. This world is full of rough edges and sharp corners, waiting to take a piece out of you. You already know that; that’s why you have insurance. Insurance can help you replace your building and equipment, and offset losses and injuries, but it can’t do a thing to help you replace those irreplaceable files and records. Ironically, many businesses have disaster preparedness plans in place and likewise favor off-site storage of irreplaceable, historic documents. However, little or no thought is given to the safety of the new paperwork as it accrues, waiting to be transferred to join the off-site files. Does this make sense? During the interim of on-site storage to storage off-site, are these documents any less important? Are they somehow magically immune to disaster, just because they’re targeted for off-site storage? Of course not. And, although their destruction may not mean the end of your business, their loss will certainly impact upon you. So, what does this mean? Is it better to keep all of your important information off-site? But what happens when you’re working late and you need to have some of that vital data at your fingertips? Do you have access to those off-site files at all hours of the day and night? Maybe. Maybe not. Is the storage site nearby, or is it across town . . . or out of town? If you needed your files right now . . . could you get them? Could someone else? What about your data files? They’re even more vulnerable to the wounds of fate. Systemic duplication of vital computer data is essential, but transfer of such material off-site is risky, at best, exposing it to changes in temperature, electrical and magnetic influences, dust, dirt, humidity, mishandling, loss, even theft or copying. Everything that was true about how inconvenient access to paper files becomes once the files are off-site is just as true about data files; and, once the media is off-site, back-up duplication has just become a lot more inconvenient and a great deal more unlikely. But, like paper files, on-site protection can provide an adequate defense against fire, theft or copying, and significantly reduce the perils posed by any other mishandling. Keep the Home Fires Burning An ordinary safe or locking metal filing cabinet is a wonderful invention for preventing theft. Unfortunately, they can’t do much to stop that oldest of pillagers. Fire. But there are safes, cabinets and files that are designed to meet the most stringent of industry requirements for fire protection, and the cost for any of these items is considerably less than the endless, monthly fees associated with off-site storage. (Chances are, like more businesses, you don’t own the property but are simply renting the space). But you can buy priceless on-site protection and peace of mind, all in one fell swoop. Just ask Len Topoloski. Vagrants seeking shelter from the cold in an unfinished addition to a West Toledo, Ohio credit union are suspected of starting a blaze that virtually destroyed the entire building, according to fire investigators. About 12:15 a.m., report fire officials, the blaze broke out on the floor of the addition to the Mutual Federal Credit Union, 1353 Gage Road. The 12-year old, single story brick structure housed accounts for some 5400 members, mostly employees of the nearby General Motors Powertrain Corporation. The flames spread quickly through the roof of the addition into the main building, causing an estimated $500,000 damage. Investigators pronounced it a loss, and said a new structure would have to be built. In the past decade, the credit union had grown from $1.3 million in accounts to more than $23 million. Although the credit union was insured and had disaster preparedness plans in place for its customers, a fire of such proportions could have completely destroyed all of their vital records, such as original loan documents, account balances, and computer media and microfilm records. But, according to Len Topoloski, manager of the Mutual Federal Credit Union, not a single document was lost or damaged, even though the fire completely gutted the facility, because they were protected by Schwab Corp. Insulated Files. How Do Fire Resistant Products Work? Most fire resistant products work in essentially the same manner. Here’s how Schwab Corp. does it. A cement-like, chemically dry insulation designed to remain free of moisture and rust for its virtually-unlimited lifespan, is poured into the gap between the inner and outer walls of the unit (a safe, cabinet or file) thus creating a protective middle layer. Because the insulation is poured, this means there are no seams or breaks in the insulation to cause weak spots. No chinks in this armor, no Achilles heel. This insulation contains moisture. During a fire, the insulation becomes heated and releases this moisture as steam, which in turn keeps the safe’s contents moist and cool, and allows the unit to maintain a consistent, internal temperature (for paper records) of below 350 & #176; F (paper chars at 420 & #176; F). Although containers designed to protect computer media operate similarly to those designed to protect paper records, there is one main difference: a second, inner tank. There are two reasons for this: computer media is damaged at considerably lower temperatures than paper (125 & #176; F), and likewise suffers damage from an excess of 80% humidity. In other words, the same moisture the safe releases to protect paper files will simply destroy computer media. To ensure this doesn’t happen, the steam released by the heated insulation never reaches the computer media. The second, inner tank is cooled instead by the release of the moisture, thus cooling the contents but keeping the media records dry. Hit Us With Your Best Shot Still, all the safety precautions in the world mean nothing if the safe itself isn’t durable, and there are three main tests performed by Underwriters Laboratory to ensure a fire protective paper records container’s toughness. The first, the fire endurance test, requires the container to be placed into an oven and the temperature raised to 1700 & #176; F. To achieve a UL Class 350 1-hour certification, the container must survive this grueling temperature for at least one hour while maintaining an internal temperature of less than 350 & #176; F (a UL Class 4-hour safe, then, would successfully keep its internal temperature below 350 & #176; F during a 4-hour exposure to 2000 & #176; F). In addition, the unit must undergo a critical cool-down period, lasting up to 68 hours, during which the internal temperature must remain below 350 & #176; F. A second mandatory test is the explosion test; UL sets the container directly in a 2000 & #176; F oven for 30 minutes. The dramatic change in temperature represents a heat blast such as a safe or cabinet might suffer in a fire; the sudden expansion from the instant change in temperature can cause most materials safes and cabinets included to explode. Finally, an optional test to which some manufacturers submit is designed to determine a container’s impact resistance. After all, what good is a unit that survives the fire but breaks open from a fall, exposing its contents to the conflagration? For this, the still-hot safe or cabinet is dropped 30 feet into a pile of rubble, to duplicate what might happen if the floor burns away and the unit falls three stories during a fire. Obviously, a successful container will not have its exterior nor its interior protectiveness compromised by the fall. Media safes and cabinets should also bear a UL classification and pass the same explosion and drop tests a paper record protective unit must pass. However, during the tests, media units must maintain an internal temperature below 125 & #176; F and a humidity factor of below 80%. Containers that pass this receive a UL Class 125 1-hour certification. If you keep irreplaceable information on both paper and computer media, a mixed media file can provide the necessary dual protection. While providing UL certified fire protection for paper records, the mixed media unit also has a separate compartment with the extra protective qualifications needed for media files. Smart and Good Looks The mixed media files are handsome enough to be integrated into any office workstation, beside any desk, secretarial pool or any other office configuration, and can be right- or left-hinged, allowing it to be placed anywhere. Interior configuration of drawers is easily and smoothly changed to adapt to your changing storage needs as they evolve, utilizing other computer media. If space is a problem but it’s essential to keep documents nearby, vertical, insulated files are a good solution. Additionally, should media files need to be safeguarded as well, Schwab Corp.’s Media Cooler can easily and inexpensively convert your paper record cabinet or safe into a unit which protects computer media too. Cassettes, cartridges, disks, diskettes and CDs all fit handily into this compact case which can then be placed inside any UL Class 350 rated product, guaranteeing complete mixed media protection. On-site fire protection is a good investment, too. With Schwab, every safe, file and cabinet comes with a lifetime replacement offer. If, at any time during the life of your product, a fire should strike, your unit will be replaced a no cost to you. Additionally, should your documents be damaged by fire because your unit failed to perform as specified by UL certification, Schwab Corp. offers a $100,000 covered contents guarantee. The future of your business is being transferred off-site. It’s somewhere in a truck, or a van, or your car, or somewhere out on the Internet. What hasn’t yet been transferred anxiously sits in your own business, exposed to another set of dangers. Doesn’t it make sense to protect those vital records in fire protective safes, cabinets or files while they’re still on-site? The smart business thinks so. Information for this article was provided by Schwab Corp.
