Assuming that you only have to deal with those two types of items
(paper documents and electronic devices) then there are a number of
ways to render them unusable.  I'm assuming that the safe cannot be
modified - that you'd like to place this destruct in existing safes
without taking up much space.

Paper is surprisingly durable - it takes very high heat to ignite it,
and when stacked the inner pages are often left unburned due to lack
of oxygen.

Electronics can be very easily damaged by blunt force, and very high heat.

The problem with fire is that it requires significant oxygen and a way
to get rid of exhaust.  In a typical safe, especially those that are
'fire rated' for more than a few minutes, you aren't going to have
enough oxygen or exhaust to burn all the papers unless you have an
independant source of heat.

I suppose a thermite material of some sort with built in oxygen
dropped on a stack of papers might do it, but it would be tricky to
engineer to get 80% coverage, nevermind 100%.

Unless the molten material of the thermite grenade consumes all the
paper, the fire is likely to self-extenguish with many of the
documents still existing in large pieces.

So I think your best bet is to dissolve the paper in a chemical of
some sort, and destroy the electronics in a mechanical crusher.  This
requires more effort and space, though.  Put the documents on a metal
wire shelf with an empty tray below.  The chemical is stored in a
bottle until needed, at which point it empties into the tray.  A pump
sprays liquid from the tray over the documents which will eventually
dissolve them into a sludge in the tray.  This is not unlike etching a
PCB.

Alternately, get a safe that's twice as large as needed, store the
items in the bottom half in a bucket, and store the chemical in the
top half in a sealed bucket with a solenoid on the bottom.  On trigger
the bottom bucket fills with teh chemical and everything is sludge in
the 1-2 hours a good safe cracker can open a high rated safe.

I'm sure there are lots of other methods.  Perhaps consult the CIA and
see what they do for suitcases that destroy documents on command (or
lack of heartbeat command) from the attached agent.  :-)

If you can use a specific paper (rice paper, for instance) then your
job is easier, and if you have to handle items other than paper (linen
paper, plastic or laminated documents, binders, etc) then your job is
harder.

Good luck, and remember to send videos of your tests!  ;-)

-Adam

On 3/17/08, Chaoua, Rashid <rashid.chaoua@lmco.com> wrote:
> Greetings,
>
> I was curious if anyone out there is aware of the different methods one
> might employ to destroy the contents of a safe (electronic devices and
> sensitive documents). The only method I have come across is using a
> thermite grenade. However, this destroy the surrounding area of the safe
> as well and is undesirable. Anybody got any ideas?
>
>
>
> Rachid
>
>
>
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