5 weird and wonderful facts about document destruction

Living in the information age, we have access to a world of data in the blink of an eye, but did you know that until as late as 2010 carrier pigeons beat internet upload speeds? Which is why harmoniously integrating swift new technology and traditional methods of document management is the best solution for a contemporary business.

Records management does not only entail the secure storage and efficient indexing of important documents, but it will also ensure that your documents, once they have reached the end of their lifecycle, are properly destroyed.

So, aside from what you’ve seen in the movies, what do you really know about the process of document destruction? Here are five of the strangest facts about this pretty important process:

1. The 1^st Shredding Machine Patented in 1909 by Abbot Augusts Lowe, the first paper shredding machine was worth its weight in gold. However, to the dismay of many enthusiastic office workers, Lowe died before producing another machine and all that was left was his rickety old prototype. Due to Lowe’s death, the first invention was stored away and forgotten about until…
2. The 2^nd Shredding Machine Invented by German engineer, Adolf Ehinger, the second shredding machine was created in a frantic frenzy. This shredder just happened to save the engineer from Nazi arrest by enabling him to destroy thousands of pieces of anti-Nazi propaganda. Talk about a close shave!
3. Beware of Foreign Objects There are several things that can be found around the office that can actually cause a shredder of any size to spew sparks and expire. These include paper clips, rubber bands, fingers, and your colleague’s obscene mousepad. Even though industrial paper shredders can devour hundreds of sheets of paper in one go, they are ridiculously sensitive to any foreign objects.
4. A Shredding Resurgence History enthusiasts will notice the scale of importance when we mention the American Watergate Scandal of the 1970s. President Nixon brought about a huge resurgence of document shredding when he attempted to cover up the scandal by candidly shredding large amounts of paper, turning it into a popular business practice, especially when it came to confidential documentation.
5. Iranians Revolutionise Shredding If you’ve ever seen a cross-cut shredder and wondered why it seems so pedantic, note that it was a defensive move after a major intelligence leak. In 1979, Iran seized a number of papery nests from the American Embassy and pieced together pages and pages of sensitive information. Document destruction is now done with cross-cut shredders and is the operative method of shredding in most government organisations across the world.

Thanks to years of turbulence, paper shredding has taken on a whole new form. Efficient and reliable, providers of document destruction also offer you a safe way to get rid of confidential information. So, if you have any outdated documentation, it’s time to get shredding!