How to Maintain a Paper Shredder in a Busy Office
Running a business smoothly and without any major hiccups usually means also complying to smaller rules that might not seem so obvious.
One of those rules on how to maintain a paper shredder in a busy office is that it should runs effectively and reliably.
There are many reasons why it is important to have a paper shredder in your office, one of them being able to comply to laws, such as the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act.
Other less obvious reasons include getting rid of unnecessary clutter, to prevent certain crimes like identity theft and to get rid of a potential fire hazard.
Digishred is one of the leading suppliers of paper shredders in South Africa and will ensure that you have the perfect type of shredder that will fit the needs of your office’s operations.
Ensuring that your paper shredder is always on its best behaviour and able to do as much work as you require of it, you need to take care of it by properly maintaining it.
This paper shredder guide explores some of the essential things that you need to do to maintain a paper shredder in a busy office.
Clean the shredder regularly
A paper shredder needs to be cleaned regularly to ensure that it will last long and to avoid any interruptions that might negatively impact the operations in your office.
We recommend that you clean the paper shredder at least once a month, or every time after you used the shredder for a big project. Things to look out for when cleaning a paper shredder include dust and small pieces of paper, which could get stuck and create faults. This type of debris could end up in the gears of the shredder and this will lead to problems.
When cleaning the paper shredder, remove all the visible dust and pieces of paper. Clean out the shredder blades by using compressed air.
Keep the paper shredder oiled up
Regardless of what type of shredder you have in your office, you should ensure that it is regularly oiled. Oiling the machine will ensure that it will keep things running smoothly which ultimately leads to your shredder having a longer lifespan.
Shredder oil is inexpensive, and we suggest that you oil your paper shredder at least once a month or after a major paper jam. To oil a paper shredder only takes a couple of minutes and can be done by holding down the reverse button. The oil is then squeezed across the paper entry area while the reverse button is pressed down. The button must be held down for about 10 seconds.
Run the paper shredder in reverse
Every now and then you can run the paper shredder in reverse. Doing this will ensure that the area between the blades of the shredder does not get congested with paper.
Set up an office schedule to empty the shredder
To ensure that the paper shredder does not get too full, create an office schedule to ensure that the shredder is emptied regularly. You can either notify the cleaners of this schedule or the whole office can pitch in and take turns to empty the paper shredder.
Give the paper shredder a rest
Like most machines similar to paper shredders, it functions with a motor. Motors generate heat which needs to cool down to prevent any damage to the device, blades, and other mechanisms within the paper shredder. If you work in a busy office with a large amount of paper that is shredded regularly, be sure to allow the paper shredder to cool down for a period of 30 minutes for every 30 minutes that it is in operation.
Be aware of the paper shredder’s capacity
Carefully read the paper shredder’s manual and be aware of what its maximum sheet capacity is. By sticking to the correct amount of paper that your paper shredder can handle, you can avoid paper jams. Some major paper jams can lead to permanent damage, expensive repair work and you might even have to replace the paper shredder completely.
Do not shred anything else than paper
Even if your shredder is designed to handle objects other than paper, try to avoid doing this. Always ensure that you remove objects like paperclips and staples as a cautionary measure to avoid any damage to the paper shredder. Even though some paper shredders are designed to destroy almost anything, only shredding paper will add to your device’s lifetime.
However, some paper shredders can destroy CDs that may contain sensitive information. Carefully read the shredder’s manual before destroying CDs to ensure that it is made for this function.
In conclusion, when you look after your office’s paper shredder, it will look after you and ensure that you have uninterrupted productivity. Following the steps above should help you to increase the durability and longevity of the paper shredder in your busy office.
