Organizations handle large amounts of confidential documents that need to be shred to protect information from falling into the wrong hands. Buying an office shredder and having employees carry out destruction may seem like a wise investment, but it is not. In-office paper shredding is a laborious and tedious task that workers would prefer not to do. It is also not the best method of safeguarding private data from fraud or theft.
Here are a number of reasons why people hate their office paper shredder and why your business should too:
- Paper Shredders Reduce Productivity
Using an in-house office shredder may seem like an economical solution, but it will cost your business’ productivity. Using skilled workers for document destruction is a time-consuming process that increases labour costs over time. A better solution is having staff focus on revenue-generating activities and outsource document destruction to a professional paper shredding service. Don’t believe it, calculate what your office shredder could be costing your business. - In-Office Paper Shredding is Not Secure
Most office shredders only shred paper into thin strips, which are disposed into recycling bins or waste receptacles. These pieces of paper can be reconstructed and used for illegal purposes, such as identity theft, fraud or corporate espionage.
By hiring a professional shredding service, you will have the confidence that your private information is secure. An industrial shredding machine destroys paper into small cross-cut pieces and mixes the paper with other shredded material to ensure that no one can search through or reconstruct the waste. You can also witness the destruction of your materials by watching the closed-circuit video monitor on the mobile shredding truck. - Office Paper Shredders Pose Health and Safety Risks
Office shredders are large pieces of machinery that can overheat and cause serious bodily harm when used incorrectly. The most common risks are finger injuries, including small cuts, lacerations and amputations. These machines also produce fine paper dust, which can affect the health and safety of staff when inhaled. Hiring a shredding company keeps workers safe and reduces the risk of workplace fires and injuries. - An In-House Office Shredder is Not Compliant
When shredding documents in-house, there is no proof of destruction or record of compliance to show that the files were properly destroyed according to privacy laws. In Canada, businesses must comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), which includes rules and regulations regarding the legal usage, storage and disposal of confidential information.
Reputable shredding services provide customers with a Certificate of Destruction at every service. This formal document validates that papers, hard drives and other assets have been shredded in compliance with legal standards and the PIPEDA. - Paper Shredders Require Maintenance and Repairs
Office machines break down and jam and require regular maintenance and repairs to keep them in good working order. It not only costs money to fix and replace parts, but it costs businesses time to search and phone a repair company, wait for the shredder to be repaired, then catch up on the backlog of files that need to be shred. Shredding services also eliminate the up-front costs of purchasing a machine while saving businesses money by avoiding repair and maintenance expenses. - In-Office Shredding Equipment Only Destroys Paper Documents
Office shredding machines can only shred small stacks of paper records, leaving other materials at risk of a security breach. However, an industrial machine can securely shred all types of digital media, including hard drives, CDs and DVDs, backup tapes, optical media and unwanted products for an all-in-one solution. - Paper Shredders are Messy and Noisy
Shredding machines create fine dust particles and other messes that must be cleaned to maintain a tidy and efficient workspace. When the receptacle is full, employees must empty the bin and dispose of the waste to keep the equipment in good working order. By outsourcing document destruction to a professional company, there is no mess or excessive noise to distract workers from job responsibilities. - A Paper Shredder Takes Up Valuable Space
Office shredders take up valuable real estate, which could be better utilized for money-generating activities. With a shredding service, there’s no bulky equipment to find a home for or storing shredded materials until recycling day. Instead, you’ll receive high-quality, locked shredding bins and consoles to efficiently contain confidential paper for document destruction. Each container is strategically placed within the office for convenient access. With this process, all material is safely destroyed at your location using an industrial shredder and the waste is taken away for recycling. - An Office Shredder Cannot Shred Many Sheets of Paper
Since most office shredders can only shred a few files at once, employees must remove staples and paper clips and arrange papers into a manageable pile. Failure to do so can result in paper shredder jams, which employees must spend time to clear. There is no need to remove paper clips, staples or binder clips with an on-site shredding service. The industrial equipment is strong enough to shred large volumes of paper and fasteners. - In-House Shredding Leads to Errors
Companies invest thousands of dollars protecting confidential information, yet waste receptacles and blue bins remain a risk. When office workers are responsible for shredding and incorrectly dispose of sensitive files, a serious breach could occur.
By working with a reputable service provider, the company will ensure that all confidential documents are properly collected, shredded and disposed of. They will also help your business create an information destruction policy, which is a formal, company-wide, written policy that explains how staff must dispose of documents when they are no longer needed and what types of information to destroy.
Call on the Best Shredding Service to Destroy Your Sensitive Information
While shredding sensitive documents with an office shredder may seem like an easier and cost-effective solution, it is not the best way to protect your confidential information from a serious security breach. A better, more secure solution is choosing a NAID AAA Certified shredding service.
At Blue-Pencil, we provide a range of services for commercial and residential customers to keep sensitive information safe and compliant with legal requirements. No job is too big or small! We offer one-time and reoccurring mobile services at your home or office location all over Greater Toronto area, whether you need to shred paper records, computer hard drive devices, non-paper media or unwanted products.
Save yourself the extra cost and hard work of an office paper shredder and call on Blue-Pencil to take care of your document destruction needs. To learn more about our shredding services, phone us today or contact our customer service team for a free quote.