Ever since the "Fair And Accurate Credit Transactions Act" (FACTA) went into law in June of 2005, all companies with one or more employees need to be using some form of document disposal equipment. For certain types of businesses that produce a large volume of data-containing documents the need to be discarded, a heavy duty paper shredder is often required to bring them into compliance. Here are a few important points to consider when choosing the right one for your situation.

1. Pinpoint The Appropriate Security Level

Before any other consideration, you should make sure you know which security level your heavy duty paper shredder should be. FACTA rates the security level of paper shredders from 1 to 6. Level 1 shredders provide the lowest level of security, but are still acceptable for businesses that do not deal in overly sensitive information. Level 6 shredders provide a level of security that only top level government agencies and others dealing in top-secret information would require.

A business requiring a heavy duty paper shredder would indicate it deals with a high volume of documents that need to continually be disposed of. This would suggest that there is a greater chance of at least some of the material being of a particularly sensitive nature. Because of this, comparison shopping would likely involve considering paper shredders in the mid to high security level rating range.

2. Volume And Growth

Continuing along the same lines, the next step is to figure out not only how much volume your paper shredder will have to deal with now, but also what your projections for future needs will be. There's nothing worse than investing in an expensive piece of high-end equipment, only to have it become obsolete for your needs a short time later.

Because of this, it is much better to choose a paper shredder that can handle much disposal volume than you currently require. Although the short-term costs of doing this might seem high, not having to replace the shredder when your business grows will certainly equal massive savings in the long run.

3. Service And Warranty

Especially with heavy duty shredders, it is very important to consider the cost of upkeep and repairs when the need arises. Despite the fact that these paper shredders are designed to handle a large and continual workload, they will need to be serviced on a regular. Make sure you know ahead of time the details of any service and repairs warranty that is included with your shredder.

This is also a good time to check the reputation of the company you are considering purchasing from, as even the best warranty will do you no good if the company goes out of business before you need their help. Again, this is another factor where short term savings should not take priority over potential long-term costs.

Besides knowing that your business now complies with federal law, choosing the right heavy duty paper shredder will also ensure that you are protecting your employees and your clients from identity theft and ultimately protecting the larger interests of your entire business.