At the height of the safe-blowing period in the 50’s had to obtain an Explosive Certificate as so much material was being collected from scenes of crime where the charges had not been detonated. This led to experimentation in designing improved anti-explosive devices for retro-fitting to older safes of suitable construction and to giving demonstrations of safe-blowing to local police detective training courses. Eventually this was extended to crime-prevention and insurance burglary surveyors courses across the country and extended to all the common attack methods from straightforward ripping to oxy-acetylene and packed lance. (the latter mainly to counter the commonly held belief that this was the ultimate weapon against safes)

During the 60’s conducted tests on behalf of safe makers to prove efficacy of their products to explosive attack.

In the 80’s became involved in product testing for a major British manufacturer and also established their unique Museum of Safes where the development of safe design over the centuries was displayed with examples of the safe makers art from the wrought iron chests of 1820 to the complex and sometimes over-designed models of the 1920's. This developed into researching the background of British safemaking and safebreaking which in turn prompted the publication of www.safeman.org.uk , a condensed history of safebreaking in this country from the 1840's to the 1970's.

As little, if anything, has previously been published on the subject, safeman, as one visitor remarked, helps fill a gap in the history of technology.

Peterman

©2005

moreinfo@peterman.org.uk

updated 20th December 2006