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Any facility with a stock of controlled dangerous substances (CDS) should store the narcotics in a secure DEA-compliant safe. An approved Drug Enforcement Administration safe must meet certain specifications designed to keep unauthorized personnel from accessing the contents. Different storage requirements exist for the various CDS schedules.
Safe weights
Controlled dangerous substances are divided into five categories based on their medical use and the potential for addiction when the substances are abused according to the DEA. Schedules with the least medical use and most addiction potential have lower numbers with schedules I and II requiring the most safeguards.
A DEA-compliant safe for schedule I and schedule II substances is known as a Class 5 safe and is by default a secure storage method for lesser schedules. DEA rules specify a safe or steel cabinet weighing more than 750 pounds must be used unless the safe or cabinet is anchored to the wall or floor or sunk in concrete. In short, the safe must not be easily transported and must feature an inner and outer door with separate keys stored separately in secured locations. Combination safes are also OK, but combinations must be changed at any site when a person leaves employment or should no longer have access to the substances for an alternate reason, such as rotating from a study program.
Ease of access
DEA guidelines focus on protecting CDS stored in a safe by limiting easy transport of the safe. They also take into consideration attempts to force a safe and require compliant units to provide time blocks against forced entry or lock manipulation. An additional option is the incorporation of an alarm that automatically triggers the response of local law enforcement when an attempt is made to force the safe. The intent of these safeguards is to delay entry to the safe long enough for law enforcement officers to arrive and hinder a potential theft.
Considerations for cabinet safes
For substances with medical uses and less addictive potential, or schedules III, IV, and V, the DEA still recommends the use of a double securing lockbox. If a box with two keyed doors is not used, a single-lock box is an option, but storage becomes key. The single-lock box must be contained with a drawer or cabinet consistently padlocked with a hasp. The storage space must also be firmly attached to an alternate object, such as a cabinet secured to the wall or a drawer anchored within a cabinet or bench. All storage methods should be contained within a larger room kept locked when not occupied or in use.
Contact a local safe supplier to learn more about DEA-approved safes.
Share16 November 2021
