Secure Document Storage in Tucson: How Businesses Can Protect Records During Extreme Summer Heat

Arizona’s extreme summer heat can present major challenges when storing important business records. Partnering with a qualified, experienced record storage specialist, like Citizens Business Archives, will ensure your documents are protected from heat, dust, water, and pests. Our standard warehouse offers off-floor rack storage to protect boxes and records from damage, and we also offer a temperature- and humidity-controlled storage vault for more fragile items like electronic storage devices. Our team can help you determine where and how each type of document should be stored so that you won’t need to worry about heat damage. Here is our guide to proper secure document storage in Tucson during the summer, and how to protect records from extreme heat. 

Properly Categorize Each Type of Record

Before sending any records to storage, start by categorizing it. In order to determine where and how it should be stored, you’ll want to note the document type, age, media, and projected lifespan. Paper records and cardboard boxes will be stored differently than electronic media, photographs, plastic binders, and other materials. Critical files should be digitized or backed up before they are sent to an offsite storage facility.

Ensure Humidity and Temperature Control

Next, determine what the ideal temperature and humidity range is for the type of document. For paper records, the ideal temperature range for your business records storage facility is below 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Humidity levels should fall within 30-50%. High heat and increased moisture or humidity can lead to mold growth and deterioration of paper records. Water and moisture can damage electronic records and photographs beyond repair. Cardboard boxes and electronic media storage devices also require proper airflow. Our rack storage is ideal to prevent hot pockets of stale air from damaging your business documents.

Use the Proper Storage Containers

You’ll also want to ensure you’re using the proper storage containers for the type of records and storage location. Cardboard or banker’s boxes are fine for standard business documents with a shorter retention period, such as three to five years, as long as they are stored off the ground. For fragile documents or long-term storage, consider using heavy-duty plastic bins that block heat, light, water, and pests. 

Consider Storage Container Placement

All containers should be elevated at least six inches off the ground to protect them from flooding and pests. They should not be placed against walls that conduct heat, or on top shelves, as heat rises. Fragile or important documents should be stored in a cool, dark place protected from light to prevent UV and thermal fading. 

Citizens Business Archives offers personalized document storage solutions for all industries.  Our 18,000 square foot facility is protected from fire and pests, and we offer off-ground rack storage and specialized climate-controlled vault storage. We also offer records inventory management and indexing services to streamline the archiving process. To learn more, call us today at (520) 882-4434 or contact us online to request a quote for document storage in Tucson, AZ.

Mid-Year Records Cleanup: A Step-by-Step Guide to Document Sorting and Indexing for Better Efficiency

Undergoing a mid-year records cleanup allows you to reclaim space and enhance office efficiency, reassess record storage needs and costs, prepare for year-end audits, and ensure regulatory compliance. The best time to begin is early to mid-June. The process involves an in-depth audit, purging and shredding records outside the retention period, document sorting and indexing, and reorganizing archives. Citizens Business Archives can assist by providing tailored records management solutions in Tucson, AZ, including document storage, shredding services, and inventory and records management services, including computerized indexing. Here is our step-by-step guide to your mid-year records audit, purge, and archiving process.

Audit and Review of Record Retention Policy

You’ll start by conducting an audit of your existing files. You will want to fully review all hard copy files, electronic records, and documents that are currently active, including ones that are loose, on desks, and in filing cabinets and boxes. You will also need to audit inactive files and records that are stored or archived on or off-site. Review your company’s record retention policy to determine which records are still within the retention period, and which should be purged and destroyed. 

Records Purge and Shredding 

Documents that are outside of the retention period should be indexed or archived electronically so that you can track the purge. They should then be isolated and placed in secure shred bins. When the bins are full, call us to pick them up and shred them. We will provide you with a certificate of destruction that confirms the date, time, and method of destruction for your records. This is crucial for regulatory compliance. 

Business Document Organization and Sorting

Next, you will need to categorize and organize all records that will be retained and those that will be sent to an off-site storage facility. To properly sort the documents, you should:

  • Group all records by department, such as finance, HR, legal, and operations
  • Sort the documents by type, such as personnel, financial statements, accounts payable and receivable, company policies, client files, etc.
  • Sort each document type by date, placing them in chronological order
  • File documents in file folders, using standardized file names for ease of organization, and consider color-coding categories 
  • Place active file folders into expanding files, filing cabinets, or storage drawers based on the file names
  • Place inactive files into storage boxes or bins for transport to your record storage facility

Digitizing and Indexing

When possible, records should be digitized. This protects them from damage, loss, and theft and ensures you comply with your company’s data backup and disaster recovery plan. Create a centralized master spreadsheet that records every active and inactive/archived file your company owns. Use the same standardized file names along with a unique alphanumeric code that corresponds to the type of document. Log the exact location of each document and its future disposal date or retention period. Scan in documents that can be easily digitized, filing them electronically in your document management system and recording their location on your spreadsheet. 

Storage and Maintenance 

Documents that will be going to storage should be labeled with your company name, the file name, alphanumeric code, retention period, archive date, and ‘Box one of __.’ When your boxes are packed, update your master spreadsheet to indicate that those records have been sent to storage, and then call us to schedule a records pick-up. We will transport the documents to our secure, access-controlled warehouse where they will be protected from fire, flood, dust, heat, and pests. Should you need to access them again, we would be happy to deliver them to your office, or you can stop by during normal hours to pick them up. When the records retention period expires, we provide secure document destitution services. 

Schedule the Next Records Review

Finally, you’ll want to schedule your company’s next records audit. Ideally, this should happen every six months for low-risk industries, and quarterly for high-volume or high-risk businesses. Block out a recurring date on your calendar for your next review and purge, and regularly review documents that are nearing the end of their retention period so that you can schedule shredding services. 

As you approach your next records audit and purge, Citizens Business Archives can help. We offer inventory management and document indexing services, including individual box serialization, point-to-point tracking, and comprehensive audit trails. Our high-tech computerized index allows for instant reviews and searches as well as rapid records retrieval and easy reminders for document destruction. To get assistance with business document organization in Tucson, AZ, call us today at (520) 882-4434 or contact us online.  

Document Shredding Services Explained: When, Why, and How Often Tucson Businesses Should Shred Records

Small businesses and ones that are virtually paperless can get away with handling their own document shredding using an onsite paper shredder. However, large, high-volume, or busy offices and ones that operate in the financial, legal, healthcare, or government sectors must invest in regularly scheduled, professional document destruction services. Citizens Business Archives offers secure shredding in Tucson, AZ for businesses of all sizes. Here is our guide to understanding the overall purpose of document destruction, when and how often your business should be shredding documents, and the potential risks of neglecting or delaying destruction. 

Why Businesses Need Business Document Destruction Services

Routinely shredding critical, sensitive, or private documents protects your company, employees, and clients. You can significantly reduce your risk of data breaches, legal penalties, compliance failures, and identify theft. We recommend professional shredding services to:

  • Ensure legal compliance with federal laws like HIPAA, FACTA, and GLBA
  • Reduce the risk of data loss or theft, identity theft, extortion or hacking attempts, and reputational damage
  • Protect proprietary information and trade secrets
  • Save space by purging documents from storage areas 

Understanding Document Retention Timelines and When to Shred Documents

Record retention periods are governed by industry and regulatory standards. Your company should have a comprehensive record retention policy that outlines the specific lifecycle of each type of document or record you receive, generate, or share. As soon as a document is received or generated, it should trigger a workflow that tracks its lifecycle and schedules a date of destruction. Documents are typically shredded when:

  • They are no longer useful or necessary 
  • The legally- or company-mandated retention period has expired
  • An audit has concluded
  • The office is going paperless and digitizing hard copies of files
  • An employee has been offboarded

You should set up a shredding schedule based on your record retention policy, daily paper volume, available storage space, and risk tolerance. Employees should place daily shredding materials into locked bins that will be picked up when needed. We offer weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, and on-demand shredding pickup services. 

Risks of Neglecting Proper Document Disposal

Delaying or neglecting to properly dispose of business documents can have major financial, legal, and reputational consequences. Some of the biggest risks are:

  • Failed audits or compliance checks
  • Heavy statutory fines and penalties
  • Class-action lawsuits
  • High litigation or mitigation costs
  • Loss of licenses or business
  • Identity theft, privacy violations, or data breaches
  • Employee impropriety
  • Targeted hacking, phishing, or extortion scams
  • Intellectual theft or loss of trade secrets
  • Erosion of trust in the industry
  • Negative media exposure
  • Decline in stock value
  • Higher employee turnover and difficulty finding new talent

Citizens Business Archives provides flexible local shredding services on your schedule. We offer scheduled recurring pick-ups and on-demand services, allowing you to scale services based on need and budget. Our HIPAA-trained personnel maintain strict confidentiality and regulatory compliance and a highly secure chain of custody protocol for all documents. Call us today at (520) 882-4434 or contact us online to schedule document shredding services in Tucson, AZ.