Keeping Sensitive Documents Secure In Your Office
While many businesses use digital technology to cut down on paperwork, there is still a need for hard copies of documents in the office. When printing out these documents, you may be printing out sensitive client, customer, or vendor information. For this reason, it's important to properly secure these items when they are ready to be thrown away. Here are a few things you can do to prevent paper documents from getting into the wrong hands.
Set Limits On Printing
Setting limits on what can be printed in the office can help reduce the chances of paper ending up in the wrong hands. Write out a clearly defined policy that indicates what can and can't be printed. Have an appeals process in place just in case there is an occasional need to print outside of these boundaries. You can also purchase a printer that lets you set limits on the number of pages each staff member can print each day. This will encourage people to be thoughtful about their printing habits while also cutting down on paper waste.
Institute A No Waste Paper Policy
Your employees most likely have trash bins at their desks, which can be used for throwing away food wrappers and other refuse. However, putting papers of any kind in the bins can make it difficult for you to prevent accidental disposal of sensitive documents. Instead, institute a rule that requires employees to only use their trash bins for non-paper materials. This makes it easier to secure documents while also helping cut down on paper waste.
Add Paper Bins To The Office
Of course, there will be a need to dispose of paper from time to time, whether it's a sensitive document or a piece of scratch paper. To meet this need, have centralized paper bins your staff can use to dispose of these items. The bins should be clearly marked, and they should also have a lid that can be locked. At night, have one person in charge of locking the lids so none of the paper inside can be accessed by a potential burglar.
Hire A Document Shredding Company
A document shredding company like On Site Shred can come to your business and dispose of the paper contained in your paper bins properly. Be sure to ask about guarantees for how small the shredded particles will be. You want to make sure there is no chance that anyone could reconstruct your papers by taping them back together. Your document shredding company should also be able to transport the paper waste to a recycling facility where it can be used in the production of new paper goods.