Precautions before purchasing shredders

Question

Accepted Answer

Why shouldn't I just buy an inexpensive shredder?

The most common error that we have seen is buying a shredder that's too small for the job. Doing this usually results in far more wasted time and money than might be saved on the original price of the shredder. We suggest that you evaluate your needs before buying. Here's what will happen if you buy an inadequate shredder:

1.Employees spend more time waiting for the shredder to finish. The loss of productivity is often worth several hundred dollars a year.

2.The shredder will jam up more often, as impatient employees try to put in too many pages at a time, or try to put in more pages before the current load is finished.

3.The shredder will break down more often. This causes lost productivity as well as the cost of repairs or replacement.

4.Overloaded shredders will often fail to completely shred documents. Your most important documents may end up in the trash in readable condition without anyone noticing.

5.Critical documents that should have been destroyed may be just thrown away, because the shredder was too slow or not working at the time. Isn't this why you're going to buy a shredder in the first place?

What do I need to know to buy a shredder?

1.What will you be shredding? What size paper? Do you need to shred CDs/DVDs?

2.How much material will you be shredding? It's always a good idea to buy some extra capacity, since you will have this shredder for several years and your company will probably grow in that time.

3.What security level are the most sensitive documents that you will need to shred?

Should I buy just one shredder for everyone to use?

Depending on the size of your company this is often an excellent choice. Here are some factors to consider:

1.For a single shredder, you will need to find a location that is convenient for everyone, or provide shred bins to all employees that are then emptied by one person.

2.Will one person be responsible for operating the shredder, or will you have everyone shred their own waste? If one person at your company is responsible for shredding all documents, remember that that person will be able to see all of your confidential data. If everyone shreds their own, this will probably take more time away from their real work.

3.While individual shredders are convenient, they can also be noisy enough to disrupt the work of others nearby. A single shredder can be placed in a separate room where noise will not be a problem.

4.Different departments may require different levels of security. A single shredder needs to adequately protect the most valuable documents that must be destroyed. Security consideratins may require that some individuals or departments have their own shredder.

What maintenance does a shredder need?

1.Replace the bags when they get full. Keep a supply of the proper size shredder bags on hand, near or in the shredder cabinet.

2.Oil the cutting head frequently. This will keep your shredder running at full speed. See your instruction manual for how and when to oil.

3.Clean off the paper dust that may build up on top of the machine and in the throat

Are shredders safe?

1.Any piece of machinery should be treated with respect. While shredders have been known to attempt to shred loose clothing, injuries are rare. To avoid any potential problems, use care when wearing ties, jackets, or anything else that may fall into the shredder's throat. Shredders should be turned off when not in use. Don't place a shredder where items can easily fall into the throat, or where liquids can be spilled into the machine. Have any employees who may be operating the shredder read the safety section of your shredder manual.

2.If you are using a shredder in a home office, keep children and pets away from the shredder. Disconnect or lock up the shredder when not in use or you are not in the office.

Warning: Some of our customers use "canned air" to clean the paper dust and debris out of their shredders. While this is normally a good idea, we have found that some manufacturers use flammable gases in their "canned air" product. Please read the label of such products careful and do not use any such product containing butane, propane, or other flammable gases to clean your shredder. Serious injury and property damage can result from the use of flammable gases around a paper shredder.

What does shred speed mean?

The speed at which the shredder pulls paper through the cutting heads. Combined with the number of sheets, this will give you the maximum capacity of the shredder in sheets per minute.