Coming Soon to a Curb Near You: Shredding

Need to get rid of dated files and sensitive information? Letting the shredders come to your site may complement your firm’s privacy and confidentiality standards—and bring you greater peace of mind, too. 

If you’re like most small-to-midsize businesses, you generate a good deal of confidential paperwork—documents containing personal and financial data about your clients, business partners and vendors, as well as your own operations. What’s more, you most likely need to comply with a boatload of federal and state regulations, such as HIPAA, SOX, GLB, EEA and FACTA. Flaunt them and prepare to face fines, lawsuits, or even the loss of your business.

While regulations might not specifically call for shredding, if you shred everything, you won’t have to worry about making any mistakes with files that contain sensitive information. Destroying records this way is easily the most secure, efficient and ecologically sensitive of your alternatives. (So yes, you may want to revisit the plan for that Friday night bonfire.) However in the workplace, shredding isn’t as easy as it seems.

Many companies are often unclear as to which information is most sensitive, while also being unfamiliar with regulatory requirements. Regarding compliance, it can’t be said enough: Properly satisfying federal records-disposal guidelines requires more than just buying a few shredders at Staples and placing them around the office. Rather, a concerted plan developed in collaboration with document destruction experts can ensure compliance with a minimum of hassles. And you’ll get a detailed tracking of your shredding activities, proving your compliance.

The Case for Hospitality

So once you’ve resolved to have a qualified vendor handle your shredding, who’s going to host the event? While having material shred offsite is a viable method of choice for many companies, on-site shredding affords the option of additional oversight.

Hosting the shredding-fest—whether it’s a one-time, as-needed or regularly scheduled monthly event—also ensures a consistent, reliable chain of custody. What’s more, some mobile shredding vendors even offer 24/7 service for the utmost in scheduling convenience.

If you select a mobile shredding option, typical steps will include:

• Designation of a secure holding area in your facility for gathering and containing sensitive materials.
• Placement of these records in secure, locked containers.
• Shredding vendor sends a mobile unit to your site; its staff transfers materials from holding area to the vehicle.
• Technicians shred records securely in the mobile unit, in the presence of your firm’s designated witnesses.
• Vendor provides certification of secure and proper records destruction in accordance with all applicable regulatory standards.

Once you’ve designed a compliance-focused mobile shredding plan, you’ve kicked a considerable security burden quite literally to the curb—and with it a great deal of time, expense and staffing issues, too.

Do you have more document management questions? Read additional Knowledge Center stories on this subject, or Contact Iron Mountain’s consulting services team. You’ll be connected with a knowledgeable product and services specialist who can address your information management challenges.  

Iron Mountain Suggests:

A vendor with a truck and a shredder is just the start—and these alone may not be enough to meet your firm’s unique requirements. Consider the following steps and safeguards when choosing a vendor:

• Be sure to quiz a potential vendor on its ongoing knowledge of, and track record with, the regulatory compliance guidelines informing your best practices.
• Work with its team to develop an ongoing information destruction strategy that meets federal and state regulatory requirements.
• Adopt stringent security measures. Workers handling shredding should be screened and pass security clearance. Look for AAA certification by the National Association for Information Destruction.
• Go green. A partnership with the right, environmentally conscious vendor is a great way to create positive feelings about your compliance efforts within the firm.

50 States, 50 Rules: Shredding Across America 

Test Your Knowledge: Federal Document Destruction Regulations 

NAID Certification Review Board and AAA Certification