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This policy is applicable to all departments that utilize a safe for storing and protecting cash, checks, and/or money orders on behalf of the University.
IV. DEFINITIONS
- Care in Using: Safes are to be opened in such a manner that other persons cannot observe and determine the combination. Dual control is strongly recommended.
- Changing the Combination: When a person knowing the combination is no longer to have access to the safe, the person leaves the University or department, the combination should be changed immediately. In addition, the combination must be changed at least once every two (2) years.
- Department Records: Each department having a combination safe must establish and maintain a record of each person given the combination, dates the combination was last changed, and the reason the combination was changed.
- Knowledge of the combination to be limited: Combinations are to be given to a limited number of supervisory and authorized personnel who are required to have access to the safe.
- Not to Be Written Down: Combinations are to be memorized and are not to be written down.
- Secure Area: The safe should be placed in a secured area with limited access. If possible, secure the safe to a permanent structure.
- Access Log: Records the time, date, and person who last accessed the safe.
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SAFE MAINTENANCE PROTOCOL
To avoid any potential loss of cash or non-cash properties due to unethical practices and allures, establishing a safe maintenance protocol is designed to mitigate these risks and to safeguard assets for offices responsible for handling cash, checks, and/or money orders.
- At the start of each business day, one authorized staff with the safe combination dials in the code in preparation for the secondary authorized staff to utilize the key to open the safe for the start of business. All staff who have access to the safe must continually monitor the safe’s wear and tear. If the keyhole, for example, is potentially sticking prior to unlocking or locking, a maintenance request must be initiated.
- A quick visual inspection of the safe is necessary to ensure that no tampering occurred from the night before. Should the designated staff find any potential tampering (attempted or successful), s/he must notify his/her immediate supervisor of the issue and immediately contact the University Police.
- Within the safe, there are locked boxes/compartments that are accessible to designated cashiers and cashier supervisors with their own keys. Each key is issued to each cashier to access their locked boxes where their tills are stored for overnight safekeeping.
- At the beginning of each business day, cashiers on duty are to examine their designated lockboxes for potential tampering prior to retrieving their tills. Should there be any suspicion of tampering (whether attempted or successful), the cashier must immediately notify his/her supervisor. If there is no sign of tampering, the cashier retrieves his/her till and must ensure that the amount of cash within his/her till is exactly as it was left the night before.
- When the safe is not being accessed for a prolonged amount of time, the safe must remain closed and locked to ensure security. The secure area in which the safe is located must be accompanied by at least one professional staff to remain open. Should the safe be left unattended, the safe must be locked by the designated staff who possesses a key. No unauthorized personnel can stay in the same room as the safe on their own.
- If in an event that all staff are required to leave the building (due to fire or any safety drills), the safe must be completely locked and the combination wheel reset.
- A two-year cycle must be monitored to update the safe’s combination to new parameters. If the two-year expiration has arrived or whenever a staff who possesses the current combination transfers or terminates his/her job, a designated staff must contact the safe company to request for a new set of combination to be issued to the assigned staff. The date in which the combination was updated will be utilized as the start date of a new two-year cycle before another update is required.
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