A Quick Guide to Buying a Shredder

Offices today use shredders  for several reasons:

1. The Disposal Rule - The disposal rule provides, "Any person who maintains or otherwise possesses consumer information for a business purpose must properly dispose of such information by taking reasonable measures to protect against unauthorized access to or use of the information in connection with its disposal."

2. Identity Theft - According to the Federal Trade Commission, some 9 million people become identity theft vicitims every year. You can prevent that from happening though by using a paper shredder to get rid of any document that contains your private information.

3. Cost Savings - You can save money by having an in-house shredder rather than using an off-site shredding service, which can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Not all shredder machines are created equal and some can run you as much as a few thousand dollars so it is important to know what you are looking for first. Follow the quick guide below to help you choose which shredder is best for your needs.     

Identify Your Usage

1. How many people will use the shredder?

2. What is the volume of paper each person will shred in a day?

3. What is the length of time the shredder needs to run without stopping?

Description	Users	Run Time	Usage
Heavy Duty	Up to 10 or more users	Continuous	Over 500 sheets/job
Medium Duty	Up to 5 users	15-45 minutes	Up to 500 sheets/job
Light Duty	1 user	Up to 10 minutes	Up to 250 sheets/job

Determine Your Security or DIN Level

1. Level 2 (Strip-Cut) - 34 strips per 8.5"x11" page; Non-confidential documents

2. Level 3 (Cross-Cut) - 300 particles per 8.5"x11" page; Credit/College Applications, Insurance Papers

3. Level 4 (Micro-Cut) - 3,000 particles per 8.5"x11" page; Medical Records, Employee Files, Bank Documents

4. Level 5 (High Security) - 6,700 particles per 8.5"x11" page; Classified/Confidential documents

5. Level 6 (Top Secret Security) - 13,000 particles per 8.5"x11" page; Top Secret documents, Financial, HR documents

Other Features to Consider

1. Jam Prevention - Eliminate frustrating jams to shred more effeciently, saving valuable time

2. Safety - Advanced protection for yourself and your employees

3. Energy Savings - Energy savings feature optimizes shredder effeciency to reduce energy costs

4. Noise - Noisy shredders can be a distraction to workers in the area

If your business does not currently have a shredder or any document disposal procedures in place I would highly recommend making the small investment now. Not only to prevent any potential losses from identity theft in the future, but also from fines you could receive from the government for not following the disposal rule.