Collection: Security Level 5 Shredding

DIN 66399 Security Level P-5 allows a maximum particle area of 30 mm² and a maximum particle width of 2 mm. This is the first micro-cut level, and the jump from P-4 is the single biggest step on the whole scale: a typical P-5 shred size of 2 x 15 mm is more than five times finer in area than P-4.

P-5 suits information whose disclosure would cause serious harm to an organisation or an individual: board and strategy papers, merger and acquisition material, research and development files, litigation and legal case files, detailed medical reports, and sensitive special-category personal data. It is a common requirement in tenders and internal security policies that ask for “high security” destruction without invoking a national classification scheme.

Expect trade-offs. Micro-cut heads take fewer sheets per pass, fill bins faster because the shred is denser, and need regular oiling. Budget for a larger bin and a duty cycle that matches your volume.

Typical buyers are legal, financial and healthcare organisations, R&D and engineering teams, defence contractors handling unclassified-but-sensitive material, and government departments. For classified national security material, see P-6 and P-7. Read our DIN 66399 security level guide for the detail.