Preparing for a Professional Document Shredding Service

Whether you’re a healthcare provider with access to patient records or you’re an accounting firm with sensitive financial client documents, chances are you may have accumulated a lot of paperwork over the years and it’s time to clean those records out.  The safest and most secure way to dispose of documents containing confidential information is to have them shredded by a reliable, professional company that specializes in data destruction.

While the amount of paper and documents you have collected over the years may seem overwhelming, preparing them for a shredding service is pretty easy. Consistently managing your patient or client records or even business documents will help alleviate some stress when it comes time for your shredding services. In this article are steps you can take to prepare for your professional document shredding service.

What Documents or Records will be Shredded?

When determining which documents or records are ready for shredding, there are several factors to consider. Does the document contain personal identifiable information (PII)? This type of information can include full name, address, social security number, driver's license, financial information, and more which is data that can potentially identify a specific individual. This information getting into the wrong hands increases the risk of identity theft. Other documents to consider for shredding disposal could be your practice or business internal financial records, bank statements, tax records, employee files, etc.

You’ll also want to determine if the documents you’re having shredded are past their retention time. There are regulations for a variety of industries that must be followed as it relates to the amount of time to retain records. It is important to understand all local, state, and federal laws for protecting patient, customer, or client personal information. If you are unsure of what to keep or what to shred, consult a tax or legal adviser.

What to do with Staples, Paperclips, Rubber Bands, and Binders

If any of your documents or records contain items such as staples, paperclips, rubber bands, or binders, don’t worry! These items don’t need to be removed. Most industrial-sized shredders or grinders like the one we at BWS have in house, can easily shred those items along with your paper materials.

How About X-rays?

X-rays can be shredded! However, you’ll want to separate the x-rays from your paper waste. The reason they should be separated is because generally there are different recyclers for paper waste and x-ray films. X-rays contain silver which is harmful to the environment when they’re not disposed of properly. The disposal rates can vary between paper waste and x-rays as well.

What to do with Mixed Media

Mixed media type of items that may require secure disposal are hard drives, external drives, DVD’s/CD’s, and flash drives to name a few. Especially if you have any of these types of mixed media that contain sensitive and personal information, you’ll want to have these shredded for disposal. This will ensure that no confidential information stored on these items can be retrieved for misuse.

Making Your Shred Appointment

Now that you have your paper, documents, or items ready for safe and secure disposal, your next step is scheduling an appointment or service with a professional data destruction expert, like us at BWS. Some of the questions you will be asked in order to provide you accurate pricing may include,

• How many boxes? This is generally based on copy paper size boxes or banker style boxes with approximate dimensions of 12” x 15” x 10”. Any boxes larger than that may be considered oversized and priced at higher rate. If you do not have your documents or records boxed up, that’s okay! Our service technician could wheel in a cart or bin for the shelves or cabinets to be emptied into. In this case, you may be quoted a cart or bin disposal rate.
• What type of material for shredding disposal? There are a variety of documents or items that require secure shredding disposal. Let us know if its all paper you have, x-rays, hard drives, mixed media, overrun products, sensitive collectables to deaccession, or something else.
• Where are the boxes located? You may be storing the records or documents in your office or facility, or you may have them at an offsite storage facility. That will help determine the logistics and any special accommodations to consider in the pricing.
• Special accommodations. This could include unusual circumstances at the pick up site, such as below or above ground level without elevator access or only stair access. It’s best to provide as much detail as possible about the pick up site to avoid any additional fees that could be assessed on-site the day of service.
• When do you need service? Let us know if you need a pick up the same day (subject to availability), within one week, or within 2-3 weeks. If you need on-going routine scheduled services, we offer a variety of options and schedules to best fit your needs.
• On-site, Off-site, or Drop-off? On-site shredding may be the best option for larger cleanouts and purges where witnessed destruction is preferred or required. The mobile service is provided on-site where you can view the shredding taking place from the truck’s monitor. For Off-site services, all of the same safety steps are taken as On-site shredding except the documents or items being shredded are brought back to our facility for the service to be completed. This service is generally more economical for a smaller number of boxes, large non-paper items, or if you’re medical waste is being picked up together with your shredding. Drop-off service may be a better fit for your needs. After reviewing the details of your shredding request, one of our specialized Customer Care team members will help determine the best service option.

During the day of your service, if there are any bins or boxes you want to keep, please let our technician know. We understand that you may have been using these items for temporary storage and prefer to restore them to their original use.

Your Certificate of Destruction

Once the shredding services have been completed, you will want a Certificate of Destruction. This document is your proof showing safe and secure disposal following all local, state, and federal regulatory requirements ensuring the protection of customer and client personal data. The Certificate of Destruction is provided by the professional and reputable shredding company you hire to perform the services.

Partnering with BWS to Provide Secure, Reliable Data Destruction Services

At Biomedical Waste Services, Inc. (BWS), we have over 45 years experience safely collecting, transporting, and disposing of records, documents, hard drives, and more, containing confidential and personal identifiable information generated by a variety of clients in the mid-Atlantic area, including Maryland, Virginia, Washington D.C., Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.  Partnering with a professional, reputable company who understands regulations and how to properly manage confidential data will help keep you legally compliant, while maintaining client privacy and your company’s reputation. 

We are committed to providing our customers with secure, reliable shredding management services they can count on to keep them compliant and protect their client’s confidential information.  Call or contact us today to partner with a local, experienced, professional shredding management company.

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