Records storage, access and tracking
Records should be stored in such a manner so as to facilitate user access and protected from unauthorised access, use, disclosure, removal, deterioration, loss or destruction. At present, most government records are in paper form. Paper deteriorates rapidly in an environment of high temperature and high humidity. Furthermore, mould growth on paper is a health hazard to staff. Records should therefore be stored in proper facilities (e.g. filing cabinets, filing racks) in a clean and dry environment. B/D may also make use of GRS' Records Centre as an intermediate storage for inactive records not requiring frequent retrieval.
Timely access to records should be provided to authorised users for conducting business and other authorised purposes. To provide sensitive information with adequate protection, records should be classified according to their level of sensitivity at a particular time. Classified records should be managed in accordance with the relevant government regulations.
Movements of records should be registered by effective means. To ensure safe custody of records during transit, effective measures (e.g. registering the records, putting records in locked/properly sealed containers, checking records before and after transit etc.) should be adopted.
