Five Things You Shouldn't Be Doing to Your Office Photocopier
Your photocopier is an essential piece of office equipment, and problems with it are costly and inconvenient. Treat your photocopier right, and it should serve you well for many years. Take it for granted, though, and you might find yourself in trouble. Give your photocopier the respect it deserves by never doing any of the following things.
Resting food and drink on the side
Large, office-sized photocopiers often become impromptu tables, holding takeaway coffees and half-eaten sandwiches while staff wait for long print jobs to finish. Having food and drink near your machine is terrible idea, and liquid spills can do a lot of damage to the electronics, which may be irreparable. Stray pieces of food can also get lodged into the delicate machinery, causing all sorts of frustrating jams and malfunctions.
Putting stapled documents through the feeder
Staples and photocopiers don't mix. Putting documents containing staples or paper clips through your document feeder will damage the internal rollers, and rip your paper to shreds. All metal should be removed before putting large stacks of paper through the machine, so check carefully. It's easy for stray staples to find their way into bulky documents
Letting paper sit inside for too long
If your office will be empty for a while or your copier isn't used at certain times of the year, be sure to remove the paper and store in a cool, dry place. Paper that's left inside the tray for too long can be damaged by humidity. Damp paper that's stuck together will cause a jam when you start the machine up again. You should be especially vigilant during summer or in offices without air conditioning.
Loading the wrong size paper
If multiple employees are responsible for the photocopier, make sure there's no risk of someone inexperienced loading the wrong size paper. Label trays clearly and provide training for all new members of staff. Better yet, designate one person to be in charge of refilling the paper, and make sure they know exactly what to do. This will save you awkward jams and wasted paper.
Sitting on it (even as a joke)
We've all seen the 'hilarious' photocopies posted around the office at the end of the Christmas party, but sitting on your photocopier is never a good idea. The plate glass is only made to bear the weight of paper, and will easily crack under too much strain. There's a risk of serious injury from broken glass as well as severe damage to the machine. Consider hiring a fun photo booth for your next office party — it will create much better pictures, and your photocopier will still be intact at the end of the night.
Once you've taken care of all of the above, make sure you arrange regular servicing to keep your photocopier in top shape.