Ms. Staneruck,

While I do not disagree with Larry often (I like the term "Important Records" because people sort of get that. But I yield to him as he is my guru on all that is RM.) I would like to open a dialog on this topic of cabinets, vaults and such.

Fireproof Cabinets are typically rated for "One Hour of Paper Protection" (Rosencrans® out of Sweden now Gunnebo® makes a two hour rated.) and if your fire department and sprinkler system do not get the job done, then one hour is not enough.  In addition, rolls of film, microfilm, fiche and computer media always seem to end up in the mix in these drawers when you audit them, and they are not rated to protect them due to the fact that they use steam from the concrete lining to hold the temperature. If your cabinets are pre-1980 they probably have asbestos as part of the lining.  The white powder on your hands could be concrete or it could be the asbestos wearing off the interior surface.

In today's legal system, one hour of protection is not sufficient.  A four hour rated vault will provide more protection from loss but more importantly, your attorney will have a far easier time proving that you were not negligent in storing your records there.  Then the issue is what type of records are you protecting?  If it is media and microfilm and computer media then a Four Hour Class 350 Document vault might not be enough as this vault is not designed for that purpose.

If you store the paper records at your site in a One Hour cabinet and then you store them offsite in a second location then you are standing on firm ground. Except that how many companies really make the redundant copy and have a precise plan to ensure it is offsite while the original is in the file cabinet on site?  Aha, Larry is going to say Hugh we absolutely do and Ginny is hitting reply as we speak and Fred is also drafting a reply. But out of the 1,600 participants here, most of you are thinking "He is probably right, I wouldn't bet my money." 

Also there are so many records that are not created in duplicates. Xrays for one, MRI cartridges and insurance policies and so on.

So if your records management plan is not flawless (there are a few?  that are, then you need to think it through.

One thing that so few of you do, is to inspect your offsite storage company and ask them to define the level of protection they provide you. Then ask them to give you a letter with a Statement of Defined Protection.  In short, a Certification on the type of storage environment your records reside in.  When they are forced to tell you what level of protection you really have, many of you will be shocked.

Hugh Smith
FIRELOCK Fireproof Modular Vaults
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On Jul 21, 2012, at 12:01 AM, RECMGMT-L automatic digest system wrote:

> From: Larry Medina <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: July 20, 2012 2:43:43 PM EDT
> Subject: Re: Fireproof cabinets
> 
> 
> If you are placing them in 'fireproof' (typically "fire resistant")
> cabinets and storing them in the same location as the principal business
> you're protecting them for (the one they are vital to) then they have
> little if any value.
> 
> Enclosures/storage devices are only a part of a disaster preparedness and
> vital records program.  You need to perform a due diligence assessment to
> determine what the potential threats and risks are and the probability they
> will occur to determine how "hardened" your protection has to be.
> 
> Duplication on appropriate media is one step, storage in a location
> unlikely to be impacted by an incident where the primary records are stored
> is another.
> 
> Threats could range from theft to fire to water damage to inability to gain
> access due to a chemical or other spill or even an act of nature, such as a
> wind storm knocking down a tree, an earthquake, flood, tornado, hurricane,
> or a power outage disallowing entry to a building or a floor of a building.
> There could even be a combination of events that would impact a region up
> to a few square miles or larger, so depending on what you're protecting
> against, the measure you take may be much greater.
> 
> Keep in mind prior to the Sept 11 attack in NY City, it was assumed
> completely logical to have your backups stored in a hardened vault in a
> building a couple of blocks away and 115 floor below where your primary
> business was.  Prior to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, if someone in
> Mississippi stored their backups in Texas 150 miles inland from the Gulf,
> they thought that was sufficient as well.
> 
> Larry
> [log in to unmask]
> 
> On Fri, Jul 20, 2012 at 9:34 AM, Staneruck, Debbie [MCCUS] <
> [log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
>> Would you mind sharing your thoughts with me as to the use of fireproof
>> cabinets to store vital records.  I am interested in benchmarking how
>> other companies protect their vital documents.  Thanks!
>> Regards,
>> 
>> Deb Staneruck
>> 
> 
> -- 
> *Lawrence J. Medina
> Danville, CA
> RIM Professional since 1972*


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