Frequently Asked Questions

Why should my company shred documents?


You have a legal responsibility to keep sensitive customer and employee information from falling into the wrong hands. Businesses can no longer throw confidential documents away. Eliminating certain data in a timely fashion limits your liability in litigation and protects proprietary information from competitors. Our paper shredding service will securely eliminate confidential information.

Since we have a paper shredder, why do we need to outsource paper shredding?


Most office-size paper shredders take time to feed and cannot accommodate sizable quantities of documents. Larger capacity document shredders involve capital investment, maintenance, and service calls. Last, large and compact paper shredders alike share the same basic problem – eventually they all break.

With fewer than ten employees, does it make sense for us to outsource document shredding?


Absolutely, small organizations have limited personnel resources, and they may need to outsource paper shredding more than larger companies. South Bay Document Destruction provides convenient bins onsite, free of charge and conducts paper shredding according to your schedule.

Does it cost a lot to use a document destruction company?


Paper shredding is a non-revenue producing function that eats up valuable employee hours. When you consider how much it costs for one of your employees to do the job, you’ll find outsourcing this tedious task to South Bay Document Destruction will save you time and money.

What else can you destroy besides paper?


South Bay Document Destruction is not limited to paper and files. We handle product destruction of manufacturing over runs, counterfeit goods and quality control rejects. South Bay’s heavy duty shredding equipment routinely destroys apparel, shoes, handbags, toys, video tapes, x-rays, hard drives, discs or CD Roms.

How long must I keep documents before they can be destroyed?


The period of time that business records are stored should be determined by a retention schedule that takes into account the useful value of documents to the business and governing legal requirements. By not adhering to ongoing destruction of documents that have outlived their usefulness, businesses exhibit disposal practices that could be negatively construed in the event of litigation or audit.

What do I have to do to prepare documents for destruction?


Nothing more than deposit them in the bins and consoles placed around your office. There is no need to remove paper clips, staples, or any other type of binding.

What happens to the documents after they are destroyed?


All shredded material is securely handled by our own recycling division which establishes a tight chain of custody. All material is baled and processed at our own facility in term eliminating any third party handling.

Can I witness destruction of my information?


Yes. On-site monitoring is available while shredding onsite and video recording of the shredding process is available at our facility.

What customer support do you offer?


We recognize that customer satisfaction is earned with every service. And we have earned the reputation of offering the best, most reliable service in the industry, at a reasonable price. Customer support involves a sales representative responsible for managing your account and customer service representatives located in our office to provide daily phone call support from 6:00 am – 5 pm PST.

Do you offer a certificate of document destruction?


We issue a Certificate of Destruction anytime records have been destroyed. The certificate includes description of the disposed records, dates covered, statement that records were destroyed as part of the normal course of business.

What is AAA NAID Certified?


NAID is the non-profit trade organization of the secure destruction industry. Founded in 1994, its mission is to promote proper destruction of all forms of discarded media containing personal and proprietary information.

Why NAID certified?


NAID certification verifies the right security issues. When NAID certified information destruction services undergo and audit, their hiring practices, equipment and facilities are carefully scrutinized. These are some of the security specifications that NAID auditors verify:
  • Persons with a known history of related-crimes are not employed
  • Security and operations policies and procedures are written and followed
  • Access to materials is restricted at all times
  • Containers and vehicles protect information from unauthorized access at all times during transport and processing
  • There is an audit trail, including CCTV image capture and retention, and a thorough, documented chain of custody
More than half of NAID certification audits are unannounced, “surprise” audits. NAID certified information destruction companies operate every day with the knowledge that they could be audited without notice.

Please refer to www.naidonline.org for more information