Some of you may have seen websites or received e-mails containing similarly couched advice about “extremely dangerous” office paper shredding machines. Such advice is accompanied by a gruesome photo of a hand with serious lacerations to the fingers and thumb allegedly suffered at such a machine while clearing a paper jam. Some people have forwarded the advice to others in good faith. However, along with some other recipients, I am sceptical about the advice and photo for several reasons: These include the lack of any information about where and when the injury occurred, at what sort and size of machine and whether any enforcement body was involved and with what result. Though the advice suggests that a standard office type shredder was involved, such machines are usually designed with narrow inlet and outlet apertures which physically prevent access by fingers to the danger area. Furthermore, while the lacerations seem real, their orientation and extent are not consistent with having been caused at a standard office shredding machine i.e. with cutters comprising serrated vertical disks mounted on two horizontal power-driven spindles. If you have seen the advice and photo, do you share my scepticism? More importantly, can anyone provide more information about the advice and photo and where they originated?

The first port of call must be to www.snopes.com who are dedicated to proving or disproving such 'information'. Cut and paste a sample of the text into their search engine. I searched on 'shredder' and found that children and dogs are at risk. If you are faint hearted or a dog lover don't follow this link: http://www.snopes.com/cr...rs/crusader/shredder.asp

It is relatively easy on these things to flip over the shreding head, depress the interlock trip switch and then access the underside of the revolving shredder blades. I might have done that on my home machine to clear a blockage - then again, I might not. Do as I say, not as I do :-)