Document Destruction/Paper Shredding
Q: Is an employee
bonded company the same as one that is NAID certified?
A: Not at
all. According to the “American Health Information
Management Association, “employee bonding has no real
value as any form of liability indemnification for financial
damages suffered by the client from the negligence or accident
on the part of the document destruction company. It covers
a client if a contractor’s employee stole money, a
computer, or some furniture, but it’s not meant to
cover damages resulting from the unauthorized release of
information.” Companies that are certified through
the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID)
undergo a rigorous, annual re-certification process that
entails
24-hour closed-circuit security monitoring, in addition to
employee hiring and screening procedures and minimum standards
for operations, the destruction process and insurance coverage.
Q: What
does it mean to be NAID certified?
A: Basically,
it means the document destruction company puts confidentiality
first and employs strict policies for every destruction
procedure. The “Information Destruction Operations
Certification” program through the National Association
of Information Destruction (NAID) is issued by the American
Society for Industrial Security.
NAID
is
a non-profit association, with nearly 15 years of experience
educating business and government of the need for destruction
of discarded information. According to NAID, “It
is easy to make claims and promises when there is no
one checking … an independent security professional
conducts the annual audit. Applicants must submit for
critical review, their policy and procedure manuals,
employment records, promotional materials, logs and paperwork
to verify that they meet certification requirements.
Facility security, monitoring systems, destruction equipment
and access control systems must also stand up to the
auditor’s inspection.”
Q: Why
is document destruction important?
A: Without
the proper safeguards, information ends up in the dumpster
where it is readily, and legally, available to anybody.
Any establishment that discards private and proprietary
data without the benefit of destruction, exposes itself
to the risk of criminal and civil prosecution, as well
as the costly loss of business.
Q: How
do I know if my company needs to consider a document destruction
program?
A: Every
business produces information that requires document
destruction. All businesses have occasion to discard
confidential data. Customers lists, price lists, sales
statistics, drafts of bids and correspondence, memos,
account data, employee information, contract information,
purchase orders and even training information contain
information about business activity which would interest
any competitor. Every business is also entrusted with
information that must be kept private. Employees and
customers have the legal right to have this data protected.
Q: How
do I know that my documents are secure prior to and after
shredding?
A: IROW
adheres to the regulations as outlined by NAID on the
confidentiality of document destruction. Monitored by
closed-circuit television, IROW’s facility, as
well as their trucks, are secure. In addition, IROW performs
background checks on all employees, prior to their hiring
them onto IROW’s team. Lastly, once the information
is shredded and the information destroyed, the end product
is only sold as scrap to a paper mill for re-pulping
and for not other purpose.
Q: What
is HIPAA and how does it affect my business?
A: HIPAA
is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act, a federal law to prevent the abuses of personal
health information. Administered by the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, the law is enforced by
the U.S. Office Civil Rights. Business affected include
any and all individuals that retain or collect health
related information, including hospitals, medical centers
and insurance companies. Smaller entities such as: doctors,
dentists, chiropractors, psychiatrists, psychologists,
counselors, urgent care centers, billing centers, physical
therapists and collection agency are also subject to
the regulations as outlined by HIPAA. In the strictest
sense, even business, non-health care related, are privy
to this type of information if insurance is offered to
employees. HIPAA requires that all affected parties have
a clearly outlined plan on how to avoid nonperishable
access to these confidential details.
Q: When
seeking a vendor for document destruction, how important
is it that they carry liability insurance?
A: Commercial
General Liability insurance provides coverage for claims
arising from bodily injury and property damage. The policy
covers the negligent acts that cause injury to another
person or damage to the property of another (subject
to policy provisions). It is a basic type of insurance
for businesses. Genesis Ventures, Inc. DBA IROW Waste
Services LLC and Industrial Recyclers of Wisconsin (IROW)
is insured with a primary Commercial General Liability
policy and an Umbrella Liability policy with an insurance
carrier rated “A” rated (Excellent) by the
AM Best insurance financial rating service.
In contrast, Commercial General Liability does NOT provide
coverage for errors, contract performance disputes, or
any other Professional Liability issues. This insurance
is only provided through a separate Professional Liability
policy. Genesis Ventures, Inc. has this additional insurance
with a carrier rated “A+” (Superior) by the
AM Best insurance financial rating service.
Business professionals are expected to have extensive
technical knowledge and training in their particular
area of expertise. They are also expected to perform
the services promised in their contractual agreements
and in accordance to the standards of conduct of their
profession.
Companies who have General Liability without Professional
Liability Insurance coverage are taking a serious risk.
It’s like a doctor practicing medicine without
Malpractice Insurance. Our business recognizes the importance
of having the proper “peace of mind” in place
for our clients.
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Recycling
Q: Why
should my company employ a recycling program?
A: Recycler’s
first, IROW is committed to reusing materials that would
otherwise be landfilled. By committing to a recycling program,
your company is guaranteed the peace of mind that follows
by taking charge of the waste stream, sending more items
to be recycled, rather than to the landfill. In addition,
profits can be made from successful programs, adding to
the bottom line of profit. Contact IROW to learn more.
Q: What
items can be recycled?
A: Recyclable
materials include, but are not limited to:
• Office waste paper
• Corrugated cardboard
• Over-issue and misprint stock and forms
• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Chipboard/cores/corner protectors
• Stretch wrap
• Industrial scrap plastics
• Plastic pails
• Plastic bottles and containers
• Green Banding
• Metal Banding
• Scrap metal
• Tin
• Aluminum
• Packaging waste
• Defective merchandise
• Out of date or expired product
• Glass
Contact IROW to learn more.
Q: How
do I know if my company produces recyclable materials?
A: Every
organization produces recyclable material. IROW’s
job is to be cost-effective in collecting recyclable
materials, this can be accomplished by conducting a waste
stream analysis. At this point recyclable materials are
identified and programs are created to profitably dispose
of the items.
Q: How
can my company make money from a recycling program?
A: IROW
will help you understand all the values that your material
has. By evaluating your waste stream, IROW will advise
how to cost-effectively collect your company’s
recyclable materials. Recyclables have fluctuating value
because they are a commodity item; their value is dependent
on market forces. As a general rule, the greater the
volume of material, the more their potential value.
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Waste
Services
Q: Where
does IROW take my garbage?
A: IROW
only deposits waste in the Marathon County landfill.
Q: How
can I estimate the number of bins or the type of program
needed for my company?
A: IROW
will visit your site to review your historical needs,
future needs and recycling possibilities to determine
what is the right set-up for your organization.
Q: What
if there are items in my waste stream that can be recycled?
A: IROW
takes the time to analyze waste streams, assisting in
waste audits large and small. Committed to recycling,
IROW will painstakingly analyze your company’s
waste stream to identify which materials can be recycled
and which cannot.
Q: Are
there any items that can’t be landfilled, that need
to be disposed of through other means?
A: Certain
items within the waste stream are deemed hazardous such
as liquid and medical waste. IROW understands the disposal
restrictions and will work with you in locating available
options.
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