A secure paper shredder is useful for many businesses that need to destroy files for security or legal reasons. Offices are always producing records that will later require shredding. Therefore, you should choose a machine that matches your requirements. Here are the five most important characteristics to consider before getting a paper shredder.
1. Security Level
Before you choose a paper shredder for your office, establish the nature of your records. The levels are categorized from one to seven, starting with the lowest levels of security. If you simply want to reduce the volume of records you have, a level one machine will do.
However, higher levels of security ensure that no one can access the records later. They do this by shredding the records into bits that cannot be recreated. Remember that recreation nowadays is not only done through simple scanning but also through specialized software applications that try to determine how documents previously fit.
2. Industry Regulations
Some organizations need to conform with HIPPA and FACTA regulations on personal information destruction. That means that they cannot just purchase any shredder off the shelf.
Level three shredders can cut papers into pieces that are less than 2mm thick. Higher levels can reduce the documents almost into dust. Depending on your industry’s regulations, you can then choose what is more suitable.
However, you may want to strike a balance between meeting the compliance regulations and speeding up the process. All in all, a level six shredder is the most secure for commercial applications.
3. Shredder Speed and Capacity
A large organization with lots of paperwork will need a secure paper shredder with a high capacity. Its capacity is determined by the number of papers it can shred at once. It also ought to have the ability to hold sufficient volumes of sheets in its bin.
Commercial equipment will require longer run-times of more than half an hour. It is an indicator of how long you can continue working without stopping to cool your machine. A paper shredder for home use has run-times of a few minutes.
Additionally, you need to consider the materials you're destroying. If you have CDs and hard drives, you may require an appropriate industrial shredder to take care of those items. Keep in mind, some files and records may have pins and staples that need specialized shredding.
4. Automatic and Manual-Feed
To make it more convenient to shred papers in the office, you may also want to consider an automatic feed. You can fill the bin and leave the secure paper shredder to do the rest of the job.
It is an ideal situation for large organizations. However, small companies that have to destroy paper documents regularly could also benefit from its convenience.
If you opt for a manual shredder, you should ensure it’s protected against jamming. When documents continuously get caught in the machine, it leads to time wastage. Maintenance can also become expensive since you will occasionally need a technician to fix jams. Fortunately, most high capacity paper shredders have mechanisms to prevent jamming.
5. Number of Operators
The number of people who need to use the machine can also determine the type of industrial shredder you’ll need. The more staff in your organization, the more it should have safety and convenience features since not all of them are tech-savvy.
Bottom-Line
High capacity shredders can destroy sensitive records safely and conveniently. Without convenience, staff may become complacent and could dispose of papers using other means. You ought to carefully analyze the needs of your organization to find the right machine. For efficient and secure paper shredders, visit our online shop today.
