How to Document Destruction Training

by Bonnie Conrad
Data destruction training can protect your company.

Data destruction training can protect your company.

Paper shredder image by patrimonio designs from

No matter what line of business you are in, you need to establish proper data destruction procedures. Simply throwing your sensitive data out with the trash could leave your firm, and your employees, open to identity theft. All companies, no matter what they do or how many workers they have, need to establish clear guidelines for the disposal and destruction of sensitive data, and those companies need to develop a data destruction training plan for all employees.

1. Mark all shredder bins clearly so that all employees will know how and where to dispose of sensitive paperwork and other data. If different bins are used for different types of items (e.g. paper, cards, CDs), be sure that each bin is clearly marked with the type of data it is used for.

2. Place shredder bins in every department and make sure they are easily accessible to all employees. If the shredder bins are not conveniently located, compliance may be more difficult.

3. Place colorful and eye catching posters near every shredder bin and in common areas where employees will see them. This will raise awareness of the bins and the importance of using them even before the training session is held.

4. Prepare simple handouts for each worker detailing which types of documents are subject to the data destruction policy and which are not. Provide clear examples of data that could be potentially sensitive or confidential, like sales data, receipts and patient records.

5. Provide examples of non-paper items that are subject to the data destruction policy, like disks or computer hard drives. Make sure employees know how to dispose of those items properly.

Things Needed

  • Shredder bins
  • Training manuals

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  • Paper shredder image by patrimonio designs from
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