It is also sometimes in your interest to get things in the custody of an individual, ideally your attorney. If the owner of a deposit box becomes aware of your death, they will seal it until a court order is obtained.
At least in California, the bank opened it for me (as personal representative) so that a bank employee and I could inventory the contents.
My aunt was a hoarder. At that point, I was actually relieved that the box was empty and I wouldn't have to go through the process of claiming the contents.
My aunt was also somebody who bought gold and silver, something that was promoted heavily to people in conservative Orange County California when Obama became president and end times were near. Chase made it very clear that I was basically storing things at my own risk. I could deposit US coins from the 1880s at face value of $20 and get FDIC insurance. Instead, since they were about $1200 each at the time, I put them in the safe deposit box.
Before that, in Oregon, my dad died but I was on the list of people allowed to use the box so I had access. That might be an option if there's somebody you really trust.
The banks do charge about $100 to drill the lock if you lose the keys. It's possible that you could have somebody authorized to use the box but not give them a key.
It is also sometimes in your interest to get things in the custody of an individual, ideally your attorney. If the owner of a deposit box becomes aware of your death, they will seal it until a court order is obtained.