Document Destruction Policy for Companies

It is imperative for a company or an organization to establish a well-defined document destruction policy. There should be a time limit for storing some documents, especially those that contain sensitive information that can be an instrument of defamation and fraud. After a predetermined length of time for storage, those documents must be destroyed in methods that comply with applicable federal and state regulations from which the policy is based.

Before implementing a document destruction policy, the company should define and employ a proper document storage system. This system applies within the time prior to the predetermined date of destruction. Within that period, the company must store the document and other types of media in a centralized and accessible location. The document storage system must delineate a specific guideline for retention of the documents based on type and purpose.

Electronic records are archived in a computer or printed and stored in a restricted location either on- or off-site. A good example of crucial documents to be properly stored and destroyed after a predetermined period is patient health information. Destroying this document after maximizing its use will prevent reconstruction of information that may lead to wrong diagnosis and prescription.

The most common methods of destroying hospital documents like the aforementioned example are shredding and burning. This can be done by an in-house document destruction team or by a farmed out company dedicated to shedding services. To monitor the flow of document destruction, there should be a detailed list of which documents were destroyed and which methods are used.

Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the U.S., houses large companies that implement document destruction policies. In handling documents pertaining to emergency planning, these companies take careful measures in retaining, duplicating, and storing information before destroying them. Some information can be very essential in the future operations of the company, especially during an emergency. The department overseeing the operations must classify useful documents to store them away from document destruction Los Angeles shredding companies.

Regarding personal files, such as tax returns, mortgage documents, home repair information, and the like, which the company may have been storing for specific employee-related purposes, there are several considerations, particularly on the length of retention. Tax returns, for example, must be retained and properly stored within seven to 10 years. Basic methods of document destruction Los Angeles firms recommend can be applied.

To learn more about document destruction Los Angeles shredding companies provide, websites like ehow.com and howstuffworks.com are good sources of information. These websites can explain in detail how shredding and other document destruction methods work.

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