A document destruction policy is integral to any business and protecting customer data is legislative. Not only are there regulations that require businesses to shred documents, but it is also part of running a trustworthy business.

Why do businesses need to destroy documents?
Every day, companies create paper documents and these documents require Shredding. Practically any document that has a first name last name address, and other information probably needs to be shredded including customer order information, contracts, receipts, old tax records and balance sheets etc.

What can happen if this information falls into the wrong hands?
Not only is forgery and fraud a major issue but also there is of course the potential for bad publicity, loss of customers and lawsuits to name but a few of the dangers.
It is important that all businesses shred or destroy certain sensitive documents.  Law enforcement, legal industries, government agencies, banks, health care providers, insurance providers, financial brokers, and real estate are just a few industries where managing paperwork is crucial.

So how can a business manage their documents safely and effectively?
A detailed security policy for every type of document your business uses is essential and employees need to know these policies!

For example: What are the shredding requirements for the various document types that your company frequently uses? What are employees allowed to photocopy? Use a certified Paper Shredding Company that has a good track record and train employees about disposing of sensitive documents and developing a very specific policy about how long to hold and when to discard documents will go a long way.  Access to company records should be controlled and restricted to a small number of individuals and there should be rules relating to records.

For a more information on Shredding Services & Confidential Waste Disposal, visit http://www.allstarshredding.ie

Paper shredding or document destruction is critical for safe keeping confidential and sensitive information. Most of us create and keep files with sensitive content; examples of which are bills, financial statements, marketing plans, employee files, and even delivery packages. Government offices, non-commercial organizations, large corporations, small businesses, and private citizens alike make use of machines called shredders that cut paper into strips or fine pieces, which are then collected and recycled.

COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW

We all have the right to protection of personal information. As a matter of fact, there are laws that penalize improper disposal of documents with sensitive and confidential content. Organizations that hold personal data but neglect to protect it face financial and legal consequences. Employers for example use paper shredding services to get rid of employee files which are no longer in use.

PROTECTING MOTHER NATURE

Numerous trees are cut down in order to make paper. To protect forests, people advocate a “paperless society”, and only use paper as a last resort. The practice of sustainable farming answers the need for raw materials in papermaking. Reusing and recycling strips and bits from paper shredding machines is also another method of preserving forests.

PREVENTING IDENTITY THEFT

Identity theft cases are prevalent, and increasingly becoming a huge threat with the advent of the Internet. A delivery box with a name and an address that’s not properly disposed of can already be a potential threat. It’s considered ‘best practice’ for organizations and individuals to use a paper shredder and similar devices to avoid identity theft and fraud.

ELIMINATING CLUTTER AND FIRE HAZARDS

Piles of papers cause clutter and increase the risks of fire. Offices need to constantly get rid of these papers as part of an organization-wide records management system. Many offices purchase office shredders and designate an employee to take care of the proper disposal and destruction of paper documents. However, tapping 3rd party shredding services is the more cost-effective approach because it doesn’t require capital investment, maintenance cost, and service calls.

So there you have it, four main reasons why we need to practice proper disposal and destruction of paper documents. Having a shredding machine or document destruction service is truly important. Shredding paper helps to keep us in compliance with the law, to protect forests, to prevent identity theft, and to rid clutter and fire hazards.

All-Star Shredding provide a high quality, competitively priced Shredding Services. They provide a Confidential Waste Disposal service and enable paper shredding, document shredding, document destruction and Shredders which are reliable and secure.

Sure you’ve got your own paper shredding device attached to your bins, and you may even have this bulky shredder for more demanding jobs, but this doesn’t mean you don’t need a shredding service. As a matter of fact, hiring a 3rd party for proper destruction and disposal of sensitive information is a more practical choice these days.

Outsourced shredding services have cost advantage.
In-house shredding requires capital investment. In addition, you need to pay for maintenance and repair, not to mention pay for someone to operate the shredder. You just can’t hire anybody for the job; you’ve got to find someone you can fully trust. With a contractor, you don’t need to mind purchase cost, equipment upgrades, power consumption, labor and a bunch of other things. You only need to make a single payment that’s generally 1/2 the total cost of in-house shredding, plus you get more – ensured security, better disposal, and lesser liability.

Outsourced shredding offers certified destruction.
If you do in-house paper shredding, you need to create and implement proper document destruction policy. Furthermore, you must log the destruction and disposal of records in question, otherwise you and your operator become liable. With 3rd party shredding, the contractor absorbs all risks and threats, which may arise from poor document destruction. It carries professional liability insurance in case it’s accused of mishandling of documents or violating privacy, so you are spared from liability.

Outsourced shredding eliminates employment fraud.
A company rarely hires a team to operate the paper shredder. The in-house operator is usually a rank-and-file employee who works alone, unsupervised and unaudited. This is a big mistake on your part if you allow this because these days, it’s so easy to make money by selling personal information. In-house shredding poses the risks of employment fraud unless you take precautions. With outsourced shredding, destruction of documents are always witnessed, documented and audited from the moment documents are hauled from the vault to the time they’re completely shredded and destroyed.

Outsourced shredding services offer proper disposal.
With in-house shredding, shredded materials usually end up in the skip, unsorted and unsafe. A company seldom spends for safe delivery of the shredded materials to a reputable paper mill. When the shredder bag gets full or if the shredder breaks down, some employees simply throw sensitive data in the rubbish bin, unmindful of the consequences. Outsourced shredding provides secure procedures using locked containers and automated shredding. All shredded materials are right away sent to a reliable paper mill for immediate recycling, eliminating the risk of salvaging information from the rubbish.

It’s apparent that outsourced shredding is more secure and more reliable than in-house shredding. When a company outsources paper shredding, it means business with regards to properly and securely destroying sensitive information.

All-Star Shredding was set up by Sean Bergin in 2008 after selling his existing Waste Disposal Business (Bergin Waste Disposal Ltd).

All-Star Shredding provide a high quality, competitively priced Shredding Service. They provide a Confidential Waste Disposal service and enable paper shredding, document shredding, document destruction and Shredders which are reliable and secure.

All-Star Shredding’s Shredder Trucks enable Onsite Shredding and provide Secure Shredding for all clients.

For more information please visit www.allstarshredding.ie