A safe is a secure lockable box used for securing valuable objects against theft or damage. A safe is usually a hollow cuboid or cylinder, with one face removable or hinged to form a door. The body and door are usually cast from a metal such as steel.

Specifications for safes include some or all of the following parameters:

• burglar-resistance
• fire-resistance
• environmental resistance (e.g. to water or dust)
• type of lock (e.g. combination, key, time lock, electronic locking)
• location (e.g. wall safe, floor safe)

In 1835, The Chubb Brothers took out their first patent for a burglar-resisting safe, although it is possible that safes were made by the firm before this date as the company Chubb Safes began designing safes and locks in 1818. www.chubbsafes.com

Opening a safe without access to the key or knowledge of the combination is known as safe-cracking. This is a popular heist movie theme.

Further reading

• LOCKS, SAFES, AND SECURITY: An International Police Reference, published by Charles Thomas Publishers, Springfield, Illinois, United States. (2000) ISBN 0398070792 (See http://www.security.org/ for more details).