A broken shredder can be a huge inconvenience and a dangerous speed bump on the way to a secure document management system. Consumer-grade shredders were not meant to service the needs of businesses destroying pounds of documents daily. Hiring a professional shredding service to handle your security is always a good bet, and believe it or not, it’s often much cheaper than shredding in-house. If you still insist on shredding yourself, let’s go through some of the basics.
Repairing a Broken Shredder can be Costly and Dangerous
If you’re reading this page, chances are you’ve had one or two shredders overheat, or just stop working. Oftentimes, the repairs can be just as costly as replacing the shredder itself. This can be a few hundred dollars each time. If you do insist on repairing a broken shredder yourself, there are a few things to be aware of.
- First, will opening the mechanical part of your shredder void the warranty? Make sure you understand any manufacturer warranty or store return policy.
- Second, make sure to unplug or remove the shredder from any power sources. The risk of electric shock is very real and potentially life-threatening.
- Third, know your shredder. The shredding mechanism in most consumer-grade shredders is a series of sharp blades. Make sure you have proper protective equipment before manipulating any sharp blades or reaching into the shredding mechanism. This can result in serious injury.
- Lastly, oil and lubricants can be fire hazards. Sometimes an inoperable shredder just needs a little oil or lubricant to get the gears moving. Applying too much or not enough can be flammable once you turn the shredder back on.
Many big box stores sell cheap shredders meant for homes and not businesses. This doesn’t even factor in the time and cost of employee wages to do the physical shredding. Imagine paying one of your employees to put documents in the shredder a page at a time. This can add up. Meanwhile, professional shredding operations can shred hundreds of pounds of documents in just minutes.
All Shredders are Not Created Equally
When you buy a shredder, you must consider the level of security your industry requires. A simple consumer-grade shredder is probably fine for shredding most documents at home, but what about businesses? Not every shredder shreds documents to the same degree. There are actually at least six different levels of shredder security. These range from your standard strip cut, all the way to particle confetti cuts. Depending on your industry, you may actually be required to shred to a certain standard.
Most businesses deal with some type of consumer payment information, meaning that you need to adhere to FACTA guidelines when it comes to destruction. If your business deals with medical records, then you must adhere to HIPAA guidelines as well. Surprisingly, most consumer-grade shredders do not comply with these privacy laws. HIPAA and FACTA both require a level four cross-cut shred. These shredders are often fairly expensive and can also be costly to maintain. Not to mention the fact that these shredders can only destroy a few sheets at a time, making larger jobs time-consuming and hard on equipment.
Is it really worth the hassle? Sometimes hiring a professional is the easiest way to do the job properly.
Ready for a Better Solution?
Our shredding professionals have industrial shredders that won’t overheat or break down. Even if they do, the expenses won’t be coming out of your pocket. We can send a mobile shred truck to your location to shred on-site or pick up your documents to shred off-site. Either way, it’s a more cost-effective and secure option. You can even schedule recurring services to reduce costs and have your documents destroyed regularly.
Shred Nations has been in business for decades, and we’ve helped over 1 million customers find shredding solutions. Just give us a call at (800) 747-3365, or simply fill out the form to get a free quote today! We’re here to answer any questions you may have, and we’ll find the right service for your needs.
