As a business security measure, the documents you decide to get rid of must be disposed of by a professional service. When you decide to shred documents, no other person must have contact with these papers unless authorized. We have constructed a checklist that will help you hire a responsible shredding service with the following qualities.
Performing Due Diligence
Inquire about the company you wish to hire. The due diligence involves online research, asking for references through previous clients. This would provide you with a safety net since you are handing over sensitive documents to them. However, nothing beats physically visiting their offices to study their shredding operations and the nature of employees.
Cement is hiring the best document destruction firm out there. You will be allowing the company to peruse your files and classify the documents according to the nature of content or sensitivity. Therefore, we suggest performing background checks, lawyer assessments, and customer satisfaction reviews.
Similar Business Aims
A company that operates similarly to your business is more likely to be successful working with. You can meet with the company’s representatives or send over your employee as a test client. Unknowing to them, the test employee can provide impartial analysis and see how the document destruction business treats their client. It will save you valuable resources.
It is so much worse hiring a company with no experience or experiencing severe security issues. The intention behind hiring a destruction firm is so there are no security concerns. An ill-performing service only negates the purpose.
Assessing The Shredding Business
Another helpful analysis is touring the business, as mentioned earlier. The company representative can inquire about the controls and their protocols to permanently dispose of sensitive documents. You can also inquire about the shredding company’s hiring process to eliminate any suspicious activities by their employees.
A document destruction company will likely have rigorous quality control and training to minimize any security leaks. The documents may contain customer and client addresses, company bank details, and figures. Therefore, you would want to understand the protocols extensively to eliminate future liability on your business as we continue to say, better safe than sorry!
Rules And Regulations
The following assessment criteria involve compliances by these companies regarding document construction. There are numerous compliances present for on and off-site document destruction services. The company you hire must adhere to security compliances and legislation according to your place of business and the industry your business operates in.
A Close Working Relationship
Consider the shredding service of your partner rather than your employee. It will introduce a different but necessary perspective on document destruction. In a business sense, working closely and protecting a partner’s interests is an excellent way to achieve success. Furthermore, the parties involved can exchange protocols to reach a mutually acceptable working agreement.
If you choose to opt for off-site shredding, the documents will leave the workplace. It may seem like a routine responsibility but involves far more strict protocols. The document destruction service will arrive with locked consoles to transfer the documents. They will also provide a secure pick-up point and destruction location. The information will be shared with very few people.
Maintain Proper Documentation
Furthermore, for a compiled construction, there should be a proper paper trail too. Documentation is essential unless the destruction matter becomes unexpectedly complicated and involves the legal process. The destruction process and protocols must be uniform to destroy electronic storage devices and forms of hard drives.
Documentation will provide proof of destruction. The document is called Certificate of Destruction. And no, it is not a fictitious document. The document is proof the storage devices and sensitive financial documents were destroyed properly. It will also mention the compliances, and the purpose of these said compliances to eliminate legal liability.
Environmentally Friendly
Businesses are being forced to revise their harmful environmental emissions into the atmosphere. Therefore, we suggest working on a shredding service that is on the same path. Though it may not be so important to them, it must be a requirement for you as actions represent a business’s stance.
You can ask the shredded service to send the shredded documents to paper mills to be recycled into manufacturing new paper. The shredded pieces can also help manufacture paper towels, toilet papers, and tissue papers. The recycled use eliminates the manufacturing of products from freshly sourced raw material. As a result, there is minimum litter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which methods are approved for businesses to destroy documents?
The Federal Government has approved three methods for document destruction. These are incineration, shredding, and pulping. Shredding or milling is a dry process, whereas pulping involves wetting the documents.
How can businesses destroy papers?
– Businesses can destroy sensitive documents by:
– Soaking them in a water-bleach solution.
– Attending a communal shredding event.
– Composting documents alongside cafeteria waste.
– Burning them in a fire pit.
– Hiring a professional shredding service.
How long should businesses save their documents?
Consumer reports and financial documents such as ATM details, bank deposit information, and credit card details must not be kept for a year. After the statements have been reconciled and financial documents have been created, permanently dispose of the documents. However, save tax records for the next seven years from the date of filing.
How are business documents disposed of commonly?
Most businesses go with the shredding option. It is cost-efficient, quick, and accessible. They can hire shredders offered by many retailers to shred the documents at the office premises.
How long should the businesses preserve the bank statements and bills?
The business must store bank statements for at most a year and maintain credit card receipts for 45 days. However, you may keep them longer if the business is facing tax complications or litigations.
A secure document destruction service will make the shredding process a lot easier for you rather than complicating it. They will destroy sensitive documents and electronic devices, so trust the process. It is just another security measure for safeguarding your business’ interest.