To shred or not to shred
January can be one of the busiest times of the year for commercial shredding here at McCarthy’s Safe Shred, with many businesses classing it as the start of the new financial year. So a clear out is often in order!
Identity theft costs the UK over £3 billion a year, and it’s an ever growing problem. All businesses, no matter what their size, have to comply with the Data Protection Act – or you risk being fined up to £500,000. Confidential waste disposal is not an issue to be taken lightly.
Often there can be some confusion on what needs to be shredded. Some things are fairly obviously confidential, such as bank statements or patient records. But some things are less obvious. Client or customer records, job applications, emails, anything with any form of contact details on – they all need to be destroyed. We always say, if in doubt, shred. Bear in mind the same rules apply for information saved electronically, including hard drives, USBs and back-up tapes, and these must be safely disposed of as well.
But how long do you need to keep data for? It’s worth knowing that financial and tax records need to be kept for six years from the end of the last financial year they refer to. But personal data on customers should only be kept for as long as it is needed.
So, with the start of the New Year, now is the ideal time to create a confidential waste policy and ensure everyone in your organisation understands it – and complies. If you want any advice or help on what kind of shredding facilities are available, give us a call on 0113-2624000.
