What is a fire-rated lateral file cabinet and when do I need one?

A fire-rated lateral file cabinet is tested under UL 72 to maintain internal temperatures below 350°F during a fire, protecting paper documents from charring even as the surrounding environment reaches much higher temperatures. Fire ratings are expressed in hours (1-hour, 1.5-hour, 2-hour) based on the duration of protection at the standard UL test temperature. Industries that commonly require them include legal, medical, insurance, and financial services — anywhere original paper documents must be preserved for regulatory or liability reasons. One important caveat: fire-rated cabinets protect against heat, not against water damage from fire suppression sprinklers — a complete document protection strategy needs to address both. FindOfficeFurniture.com can source fire-rated laterals — call 888-719-4960.