Snopes to the Rescue
August 18th, 2006 5:14 pm by Kelly GarbatoYesterday, Snopes.com posted an article about the (fur)kids-and-paper-shredders issue that I mentioned on Monday.
Claim: Household paper shredders can pose a danger to children and pets.
Status: True.
So there you have it: Snopes says, “shred with caution.”
After a news roundup that includes many of the same stories I referenced, resident skeptic Barbara Mikkelson goes on to explain:
A large part of the problem is that since shredders were originally designed as business equipment for offices (where they would presumably be used only by adults), many models did not have the kinds of safeguards built into them to provide adequate protection in household environments, where children and animals abound. Although consumer safety groups are working to get manufacturers and lawmakers to adopt more stringent safety standards for shredders (such as making paper slots thinner and placing blades farther away from openings), the adoption of new standards takes time, and plenty of the machines already have been purchased for home use.
Some veterinarians maintain that serious shredder accidents involving animals are rare, but the frequency of occurrence is difficult to estimate since there has not been any systematic effort to keep track of such injuries. Regardless, the subject merits attention since the potential for accidents (involving both people and pets) will likely continue to grow as more and more shredders make their way into households, and the likelihood of injury can be mostly eliminated by following a few simple precautions:
* Try to place your shredder where it is not accessible to children or pets.
* Turn off (or unplug) your shredder when you are not using it.
* Never allow children to operate your shredder, even with adult supervision.
* Keep your hands and fingers as far from the shredder opening as possible when feeding material into it.
* Be careful to secure or remove ties, necklaces, bracelets, loose-fitting clothing, and long hair before using your shredder.
* Avoid putting thicker material (such as food wrappers, product packaging, and padded envelopes) through your shredder.
Go. Unplug. Now.
