The world may be going digital, but paper still plays an important role in it. That means the vast majority of businesses do need to think about how to manage paper waste. For most, employing a third-party specialist company to perform secure document shredding is the only practical answer. Here are the seven main reasons why.
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Stay on the right side of the law
Probably the most compelling reason for undertaking routine, secure document shredding is that it keeps you on the right side of the law. Under GDPR, businesses are responsible for the security of personal data throughout its lifetime. That includes ensuring that it is suitably erased once it has reached the end of its lifecycle.
If personal data is kept on paper, then it needs to be securely shredded. It is not mandatory to shred documents without personal data. It is, however, very advisable for two main reasons.
Firstly, you cannot discount the possibility that personal data may end up where it is not supposed to be. For example, an employee may quickly note a name and phone number on a random document. Secondly, it ensures that any business-sensitive data will also be securely destroyed.
GDPR compliance
The introduction of GDPR led to a number of articles reminding companies of their responsibility to protect customer data and of the more severe sanctions which could potentially be applied to them if they failed to do so. While this is all absolutely true and very relevant, it overlooks the point that a lot of companies need to protect confidential data which has nothing to do with customers and therefore is outside the scope of GDPR, but most certainly needs to be handled and destroyed securely if their business is to be kept safe.
A positive message
By now, most people will probably have at least some levels of awareness of the consequences of poor data security. In fact, there’s a very high chance that they’ll have fallen victim to it at some point themselves. This may only have been in a very minor way. It will, however, almost certainly have heightened their awareness of the issue.
Even if they haven’t, they will probably know somebody who has. At the very least, they’ll have read about notorious data-security breaches. In fact, they’ll probably be able to recall some of the highest-profile ones. That means, they’re increasingly likely to want reassurance about how their data is handled before they give it to you. Ensuring that the correct document destruction is used is a positive and encouraging message for both staff and customers and helps reduce potential data leaks.
Digitise your documents
Having a regular appointment with a third-party secure document shredding company encourages you to digitise promptly. This can mean switching from a paper-based process to a digital one. It can also mean continuing to use paper but making sure that it’s scanned as soon as possible after creation.
This in turn encourages you to think about your use of paper. As a rule of thumb, you should be aiming to eliminate it. At the same time, you probably need to accept that this just isn’t practical. In fact, possibly it never will be.
For example, right now, in the real world, collecting data on paper forms can be a lot easier than managing tablets. Also, quite a few people simply like the experience of using paper for certain tasks. This is unlikely to change so it has to be managed.
One way to do so is to give staff paper notebooks they can use for business. Then make sure they are regularly scanned and shredded. Often the easiest way to scan these notebooks is just to have Wi-Fi-enabled cameras. Employees can photograph the pages they want to keep and then shred the notebooks.
This isn’t just about leveraging the advantages of digitisation, this is about security and privacy. Paper documents just cannot be managed the way electronic ones can. In particular, it’s much harder to implement robust access controls. Scanning and shredding them vastly increases security.
Increased recycling
Companies that manage secure document shredding also typically manage the recycling of the paper. Given that businesses are generally responsible for their own waste-management, this is a very useful bonus.
Recycling companies also appreciate the fact that secure document shredding companies remove debris. Technically, staff can usually do this themselves. In reality, however, many forget. It’s, therefore, easier to use shredders that can cope with them.
It reduces hazards
Paper is a major health-and-safety hazard. The combustion triangle requires oxygen, a heat source and fuel. Having oxygen in a business space is literally unavoidable, much the same goes for heat. In warm weather, there will be heat from the sun. In cooler weather, there will be heat from radiators.
That only leaves fuel and paper is one of the best fuels there is. It’s dry, light and thin. Basically, it’s the modern equivalent of the kindling used to start coal fires. Paper must therefore be stored with great care. The less of it you have to store, the less you have to worry about it.
Paper can also easily become a tripping hazard and a general security hazard. It’s bulky so it tends to have to be stored in out-of-the-way places. Wastepaper often ends up in bins outdoors, these can become cover for both criminals and vermin.
Secure document shredding by RADS
If you’re looking to securely shred any important business documents, then you can enquire about our professional documents shredding services. We can also shred a wide variety of different documents, from CDs to books and magazines, and if you have any further questions, please contact our team!