« This Would Be Funny if It Weren’t So Sad | Main | Books for Young Married Couples – I Need Your Help »
Shredder Safety
By JLP | March 9, 2006
We have a paper shredder. This day and age, it is a necessity to have a paper shredder. However, according to this piece by Caroline E. Mayer of the Washinton Post, with a shredder comes a possible hazzard for children and pets. I have thought about this in the past since we have a 21 month old daughter. This is what I do:
1. Keep the shredder unplugged at all times.
2. Keep a stack of papers on top of the shredder at all times. I HATE shredding so I usually have a stack of papers that need to be shred. I keep them on top of the shredder so that the shredder opening is not exposed.
3. Scold (I hate that word but it is the only one I can think of) my daughter when she touches the shredder. This took a while, but now she doesn’t mess with the shredder at all. We have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to the shredder.
It’s pretty much common sense but it might not be something that most people think about. Hopefully, if you have a shredder you will take the proper precautions to avoid injury.
Topics: Miscellaneous | 5 Comments »
March 9th, 2006 at 11:25 am
Don’t forget not to wear ‘real’ ties or loose clothing. Once you’ve seen a clip-on go through one of these at 110 (long) pages per minute you’ll never wear a real tie around office equipment again. Then again, I haven’t worn a tie except for interviews in about 10 years.
March 9th, 2006 at 11:48 am
The shredder I received for Christmas has a sensor that shuts it off if skin comes in contact with the opening or the area around it. You might want to look into this type.
March 9th, 2006 at 12:33 pm
Another possibility is one of the small form-factor desktop shredders that can be put away when not in use.
March 9th, 2006 at 12:36 pm
I keep my shredder on a shelf in the garage. The door to the garage has an automatic closer so
it always stays shut.
March 10th, 2006 at 8:31 am
Thanks for the reminder, JLP. Now that my son is mobile, I have to take additional precautions with my shredder and have been tossing some ideas around so these are helpful!