Shredding on your own? The average office shredder might seem like an inexpensive way to destroy confidential documents but the office shredder can be risky and more costly than you think.
There are loads of document destruction policies globally in place for good reason. The impact, especially in a digital age, of becoming victim to identity theft, fraud and other fraudulent crimes is dangerous.
Our tip? Read this before you D.I.Y shred again.
Here are the hidden costs and risks of shredding documents in an office shredder:
- The actual shredder: Might have a fixed, relatively low up-front price tag but there are additional maintenance, replacement and cleaning costs to be considered. The shredding of large amounts of paper in-house can also produce a fine dust, affecting employee health.
- Human Error: We’re people! It’s only human nature to make mistakes but a mistake when shredding can be life-changing (not for the better). Office shredding often leaves decisions to the employees. Negligence on an employees behalf can cause threat to information safety.
- Talk about compliance: When shredding is done in the office, the employees responsible for the process, often do not have suitable training in document security, retention and disposal. There is also no proof destruction.
- On the Clock: High time and productivity costs of employees adds up. Office shredders can’t handle paper clips and staples and documents need to be arranged into easy to shred portions. The employees will also need to empty the shredder and clean up.
- Effectiveness: Paper is often cut into long strips by office-grade shredders. These can easily be pieced back together and increase the risk of a security breach.
Some of the benefits to using a reliable document shredding service (LIKE INTERSHRED):
- We remove sensitive documents from the workplace and shred off-site.
- A shred-it-all policy reduces the risk of human error and all documents provided to a reliable document shredding service are disposed under strict guidelines.
- Staff at our document shredding centres have been cleared to a minimum required by the National Police Records Check.
- Documents are cross-shred and destroyed into fragments that can’t be reassembled.
- We transfer shredded fragments to a paper recycling facility where they will be recycled into paper products.
- Compliance requirements are met as a Certificate of Destruction is provided after every shred for audit purposes.
- Whole files can be shredded by a reliable document shredding service so no need to remove paper clips and staples.
Ready to protect your business?
We have more than 28 years of experience. We’re also 100% Australian owned and operated.
To learn more about how we can protect your documents and security, please contact us on 1800 001 075.
