The Photocopier – An Essential Part of any Office Landscape
The humble photocopier has quietly colonised businesses across the world. Regarded as an essential piece of office equipment this item has occupied space, quietly getting on with its business of making carbon copies of documents. With new technological developments it is even possible to email and scan documents on the same machine. And let’s face it even the odd piece of personal photocopying has found its way into the feeder when the boss isn’t looking.
So the results of a recent investigation by CBS news will come a shock to office workers across the globe. Through the purchase of a used police photocopier it has been revealed that highly confidential records scanned by the innocuous machine did not disappear when the paper original and copies were removed by the user. In fact the information, many of which related to crimes, was faithfully stored on that machine, most likely without the knowledge of police staff.
The investigation revealed that most photocopiers since 2002 contain the same type of hard drives found in most desktop computers. These memory banks have been storing images of each and every document ever to have been photocopied, faxed, emailed or scanned using that machine, whilst the users were none the wiser.
Better Safe than Sorry
So when next using a photocopier at work or even handing over your personal documents to be photocopied in an office, remember to ask the operator whether they are aware of the hard drive. Or better be safe and make your own photocopies at home. And remember to wipe the hard drive before selling on any photocopiers.
As well as this latest danger surrounding photocopiers there are also some basic steps that can be taken to ensure that your health isn’t at risk by the seemingly harmless machine that sits unnoticed in your office. When photocopying don’t forget to close the lid as UV light can caused eye irritation.
A Clean Office is a Happy Office
Always ensure that the area in which the photocopier is stored is well ventilated and free from clutter. Photocopiers emit a chemical gas called Ozone which is produced through the process of photocopying. If the area is not well ventilated then there is a danger of the ozone gas building up, which could harm your health. The unpleasant effects of this gas are soreness of the eyes and irritation, respiratory problems, throat and nasal irritation. Also symptoms such as, headaches shortness of breath and dizziness are commonplace. The ozone gas carries a sweet odour, which is detectable. So if there is a strong sweet smell and or you are suffering from any of the above symptoms it is very possible that the photocopier might be to blame.