Secure shredding and safe disposal of archived files and documents by Business Records Management.

Business Records Management appreciates the importance of the correct confidential destruction of documents and files at the end of their storage life. Recent horror stories in the media have drawn attention to the need for carefully managed secure destruction and disposal - no commercial entity or public body wants the ignominy of confidential records and documents being found by the public. Yet it is tempting for contractors to take bulk confidential waste and process it either as land fill or as exported waste paper. Shredding is the most effective secure destruction method and the process should be carried out to BS8470 as outlined below.

BS8470:2006 provides organisations with recommendations for the management and control of collection, transportation and destruction of confidential material to ensure such material is disposed of securely and safely.

The BS8470 standard has the following requirements:

1. Confidential destruction premises
• Must have an administration office where necessary records and documentation is kept for conducting
business.
• The premises should be isolated from other business or activities on the same site.
• Organisations should have an intruder alarm installed to PD6662, monitored by an approved BS5979 alarm
receiving centre.
• A CCTV system with recording facilities should monitor the unloading and processing areas.

2. Contracts
• A written contract covering all transactions should exist between the client and the organisation.
• Sub-contracted work should only be allocated to companies following the recommendations in BS8470.
• In every case, clients should be informed if sub-contractors are used.

3. Personnel
• All staff should be screened in accordance with BS7858.
• All staff should sign a deed of confidentiality.

4. Collection and retention of confidential material
• Confidential material to be collected should remain protected from unauthorised access from the point of
collection to complete destruction.
• The destruction of confidential material should take place within one working day from arrival at the
destruction centre.

5. Vehicles (off site)
• Should be either box bodied or have a demountable container.
• Where a curtain side vehicle is used, material should be transported within a suitable sealed secure container.
• Should be able to communicate with home base by radio or telephone.
• Should be fitted with electro-mechanical immobiliser or alarm system.
• Should be closed and locked/or sealed during transit.
• Should be immobilised or alarmed when left unattended.

6. Vehicles (on site)
• Should be box bodied.
• Should be fitted with lockable and/or sealable doors.
• Should be able to communicate with the home base by radio or telephone.
• Should not be left unattended when unprocessed material is onboard.

7. Environmental issues
• Where practicable, end products should be recycled.
• If recycling is not practicable, the cost and convenience of other methods should be taken into account.
• Landfill should only be used where no other method of disposal is practical.
BSIA member companies incorporate BS8470:2006 into their ISO9001:2000 and are inspected annually
by a UKAS accredited certification body. (details of the standard reproduced here are accredited to BSIA)

Business Records Management works with selected accredited partners provide fully certified confidential destruction to BS8470 and can arrange both on-site and off-site shredding and destruction of documents and files.