Replacement of Unapproved Storage Containers.

A. There are no non-security filing cabinets or containers in use or presently on the market that are approved for the storage of classified information. As cited in Executive Order 12958, Classified National Security Information, Directive on Safeguarding Classified National Security Information, dated August 4, 1999, only GSA approved Class 5 or Class 6 security filing cabinets are authorized for the storage of classified National Security Information. In the past, a number of filing cabinets equipped with locking bars and secured with combination padlocks along with security storage containers equipped with built-in combination locks manufactured prior to the GSA-approval process were conditionally authorized for storing classified information. Executive Order 12958, Classified National Security Information, Directive on Safeguarding Classified National Security Information, dated August 4, 1999, rescinds all previous conditional authorizations for containers storing classified information.

B. Security Officers and custodians must immediately replace these previously approved containers with GSA-approved Class 5 or Class 6 security containers. The expense of purchasing new security containers can be substantially lessened by taking practical steps to reduce the need for classified storage containers, as suggested below.

(1) Conduct clean-out campaigns to remove unnecessary classified and other unclassified documents from containers. Excess material should be archived or destroyed, as appropriate, and retained classified holders should be moved into approved containers.

(2) In most offices, classified documents usually constitute a very small percentage of the documents in a given container. Remove classified files from existing non-approved containers and consolidate them in approved security cabinets. The non-approved cabinets can still be used for storing unclassified files.

(3) Explore the requisitioning of approved containers through surplus channels before purchasing new equipment.

5. Record Safes Designed for Fire Protection. A labeling service has been established by the Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL) to define the level of fire protection each safe can be expected to provide. Prior to 1972, the UL designations used an alpha designation that was the same as Safe Manufacturers National Association (SMNA). Both the former UL and SMNA designations are listed below with the current equivalent UL designation. Fire protection container manufacturers and prices of equipment approved by the GSA are listed in FSS Group 71 Part III.

Fire-Resistant Safes. There are three classes of fire-resistant safes. All three classes must pass three tests - fire endurance, explosion, and impact. During the fire endurance test, the inside temperature of a safe cannot exceed 350° F at any time during the test. At the end of the test, all papers inside a safe must be entirely legible and uncharred.

(1) Class 350-4 Hours (Former UL and SMNA Classification (“A”). A specimen safe containing papers and records is placed in a testing furnace, and the temperature is raised through a standard curve until it is 2,000º at the end of four hours.

(2) Class 350-2 Hours (Former UL and SMNA Classification "B"). A specimen safe containing papers and records is placed in a testing furnace and must withstand two hours of exposure to heat reaching 1,850°F.

(3) Class 350-1 Hour (Former UL and SMNA Classification "C"). A specimen safe containing papers and records is placed in a testing furnace for a one-hour exposure to heat reaching 1,700°F.

B. Insulated Filing Devices. Insulated filing devices afford considerably less protection for records than the three levels of fire-resistant containers discussed above. The thermocouple devices to measure interior heat during the tests are located in the center of the interior compartment, and the insulated filing devices are not drop tested. As it is possible to confuse the 350-1 Insulated Filing Device with the 350-1 Fire-Resistant Safe, the label should be carefully noted.

(1) Class 350-1 Hour (Former UL and SMNA Classification "D"). A specimen-filing device is placed in a testing furnace and is heated to temperatures reaching 1,700°F, for one hour.

(2) Class 350-1/2 Hour (Former UL and SMNA Classification "E"). A specimen-filing device is heated for one-half hour to a temperature reaching 1,550°F in a test furnace.

C. Insulated Record Containers. Because information technology (IT) records, such as magnetic storage media, begin to deteriorate at 150° F with humidity levels of more than 85 percent, Fire-Resistant Safes and Insulated Filing Devices should not be used to protect these types of records. To meet this requirement, a container that has been described as a “safe within a safe” was designed. This container has a sealed inner insulated repository in which the IT material is stored and an outer safe protected by a heavy wall of insulation. This type of container has been designed to protect IT records against 150°F temperature and 85 percent humidity for the period specified. Insulated Record Containers are labeled by UL as follows:

Insulated Record Container, Class 150-4 Hour
Insulated Record Container, Class 150-3 Hour
Insulated Record Container, Class 150-2 Hour
Insulated Record Container, Class 150-1 Hour

6. Burglary-Resistant Safes. Containers designed for burglary protection are classified in accordance with test data and specifications that conform to requirements of the UL. Burglary-resistant equipment will resist an attack by tools, torch, or explosives in proportion to their construction specifications. Burglary-resistant container manufacturers and prices of equipment approved by the GSA are listed in the FSS Group 71 Part III.

A. UL Ratings. Safes undergo severe testing before receiving ratings from UL. The meaning of the various label designations resulting from the UL test are described below.

(1) TL-15 or TL-30. The TL-15 or TL-30 signifies a combination-locked steel container offering a limited degree of protection against expert burglary with common mechanical or electrical tools. The container must successfully resist entry for a net working time of 15 or 30 minutes.

(2) TRTL-30 or TRTL-60. The TRTL-30 or TRTL-60 signifies a combination-locked steel safe designed and tested to give protection against 30 or 60 minutes of attack with common electrical and mechanical tools, cutting torches, and any combination of these techniques. A successful attack consists of opening the door or making a two-inch square hole entirely through the door or front face.

(3) TXTL-60. The TXTL-60 signifies a combination locked steel chest that offers 60 minutes of protection against an expert burglary attack using common hand tools, cutting torches, high explosives, and any combination of these techniques. A successful attack consists of opening the door or making a two-inch square hole entirely through the door or body.

B. Applications. Burglary resistant safes may be useful in establishing protection of valuable equipment, controlled substances, and negotiable documents or funds. The cost of any proposed container should always be compared with the protection required for the items being safeguarded. For example, it would be an unrealistic expenditure of funds to purchase a burglary-resistant safe for the sole purpose of storing a $50 petty-cash fund.