In terms of secure document destruction, there are always a number of important things to keep in mind. Hiring an expert company like Shred on Site to perform all of your paper shredding for you is a great first step, but it is exactly that – a first step. A large part of remaining both secure and compliant involves employee education and making sure that they’re handling documents properly in the first place. There are a few unfortunately common types of document security mistakes that you need to stop your employees from making as soon as possible.
Destroying Too Soon
When in doubt, shred – right? Wrong. There are specific legislations that apply to individual industries regarding the disposal of confidential documents. For example, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia advises their members on retention and disposal of sensitive patient documents. Legislation in this industry states a minimum period of two years for the retention of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme prescription records and records such as prescriptions for controlled substances, poisons, and controlled drugs for a minimum of three years. Many people don’t realise that destroying that important client document too soon can almost be as big a problem as letting it fall into the wrong hands. Make sure that all of your employees are up to speed on all of the latest rules and regulations for the best possible results.
Not Having a Procedure in Place
Having a procedure regarding where documents are stored, how they’re stored and who has access to them is one of the most important parts of remaining secure and compliant. A solid procedure is like the spine of your business; at least as far as document security is concerned. Without that spine, you could be opening your business up to a world of trouble before you even realise it.
You need to make sure that your employees know what they’re supposed to be doing with certain types of documents, where they’re supposed to be stored and who has access to that information. More importantly, you need to create very real and very enforceable penalties if anyone should stray from this procedure. When it comes time to instigate a regular shredding schedule, we can supply you with lockable shredding bins and teach you about best practice.
Attempting to Shred Themselves
In the name of productivity, some businesses may attempt to help streamline operations by destroying certain types of documents themselves. While this is a noble goal, the task of destroying boxes of secure office documents can be a larger task than initially planned. You will have to allocate valuable resources in the form of a staff member (or two) to hand-feed reams of paperwork into an inadequate budget paper shredder that will not only be incapable of handling the volume of paper, but will lack the advanced features (like pierce and tear capabilities) that state-of-the-art equipment used by Shred on Site offer as standard. You will then be giving these members of staff access to sensitive employee and client documents in the form of pay records, tax information, or financial reports that should only be viewed by senior management.
The Shred on Site Way
If you’re in need of high quality paper shredding and other secure document destruction services in and around the Melbourne area, look no farther than Shred on Site. With our mobile document shredding truck we have the tools and the talent to make sure that nothing leaves your office in anything even remotely resembling a readable form. We also offer apparel and uniform destruction and more – everything that you need to stay safe and secure, and then some!
