During civil unrest where looting is prevalent, it is unpredictable what will happen and who will be affected the most. Dozens of cannabis businesses across the U.S. sustained costly damages over the weekend when demonstrations over the death of Minneapolis man George Floyd turned violent and widespread vandalizing and looting in several major cities began.
Unfortunately, all types of businesses are being affected including pawn shops, jewelry stores, retail stores, convenience stores, restaurants, and other small businesses. Reacting to an event like civil unrest can be very difficult and raises the question – How should my business prepare to be as protected as we possibly can?
Throughout the current riots unfolding in cities across the nation, we have seen businesses burned, destroyed, and looted. In Minneapolis, alone over 170 businesses have already been looted and dozens have been burned. This number seems minuscule to the 1992 Los Angeles protests. Those riots led to over 1,000 businesses being completely destroyed, giving us an example of just how damaging civil unrest can get.
Are you giving your business the best protection against events like this? We can start by evaluating something as simple as the safe your company might be currently using.
In the event of a possible riot near your business, the first thing to do is to secure as many of your most valuable assets inside a high-security UL-rated safe. A TL-rated safe has proven its worth throughout these civil unrests. At the time of this article’s publication, there has not been any report of a successful attack on any TL-rated safe.
Why a TL-Rated Safe?
The TL-30 designation is issued by the Underwriters Laboratory. TL-30 safes offer the highest security standards for most business applications. The TL-rating refers to the safe’s ability to withstand an attack from the common burglar’s go-to tools such as hammers, saws, drills, and grinding wheels. Its solid composite body incorporates high-density concrete. The concrete inside the safe body is embodied with corundum aggregate and encased in a double layer of high-tensile steel.
The numeral part in the TL-rating stands for the amount of time the safe can withstand a sophisticated attack by an experienced criminal. For example, if a safe has a TL-30 rating, the safe can resist an attack for up to 30 minutes. Many of these safes are also rated to protect valuables from fire for up to 2 hours.
Why is a Gun Safe Insufficient?
A gun safe is mainly designed to keep kids and others from easily getting into the safe and accessing the guns. The inner lining of the safe is mostly sheet rock, which is great for absorbing heat, but offers very little resistance to basic tool attacks and no resistance to the more sophisticated tools associated with burglaries in the high asset world. A gun safe is not something you would want to keep valuables in. Several have been broken into during the current looting events.
When it comes to securing your business’s valuables, you are going to want to have the best protection that you can have. Understanding the difference in safes and which one applies to different situations can ultimately save your company thousands of dollars. When it comes to civil unrest or any event that involves looting and burglaries, the TL-rated safe is going to set your company up to be better protected rather than a gun safe can.