Financial Advisor

Keeping Pets and Children Safe Around Paper Shredders

As identity theft becomes a bigger and more predominant problem, using a paper shredder to destroy sensitive documents has become an important and very necessary means of disposal. One area that paper shredders have made great strides in recently is in the safety of children and/or pets that may be in the area of a running paper shredder.

We’ve all heard the horror stories of what can happen if a child or pet is left unattended near an operable paper shredder. The simple fact of the matter is that children are curious and especially like things that make sound and light up. To them a paper shredder is just another toy. I don’t think it is necessary to go into detail what exactly can happen if you accidentally leave an unsafe paper shredder on or plugged in, and your small child or pet decides to take a closer look at what the machine is and what it can do.

Originally, manufacturers came up the solution of simply making the opening to the shredder blades smaller. While this certainly helped, it wasn’t a perfect solution. Some of the bigger paper shredder companies have now come up with some great technologies to help prevent such terrible accidents from taking place. Fellowes has created what they call “safe sense technology,” which can sense if someone’s hand, or paw, gets too close to the paper shredder opening and automatically shuts down immediately.

Some of the MBM Destroyit paper shredders use their SPS (Safety Protection System) which is an electronically controlled, transparent safety shield in the feed opening that will keep fingers, clothes or other objects away from the cutting shafts.

While there are many factors to consider when choosing a paper shredder, such as security level, usage amount and cost, if you have or are planning to have children or pets that may come in contact with the shredder, finding one that is designed to prevent accidental injuries can be equally as important.

About the Author

Jeremy has been working as a Marketing Specialist for BuyOnlineNow.com since 2005. His aim is to bring the most informative and helpful content to the customer with an interesting and easy to read style that puts himself in the reader’s shoes. Jeremy looks at his work as a way of saving the world, one office supply at a time.

Website: Office Supplies

Keeping Pets and Children Safe Around Paper Shredders by Jeremy Jewell