The Borough of Poole has signed an undertaking with the Information Commissioner’s Office as a result of faxing errors.
According to the undertaking, signed by John McBride, Chief Executive of the Borough of Poole, faxes containing personal data had been sent to the same incorrect fax number on three separate occasions in 2010. On the first occasion, in August, the sender realized the mistake as soon as the fax had been sent and immediately contacted the recipient, who reportedly destroyed the fax without delay. The fax contained some sensitive personal data about an individual’s mental health issues.
The second and third incidents occurred within a week of each other in December 2010, and both involved the transmission of a consent form giving only minor amounts of non-sensitive personal data. These errors were not realized at the time and came to light only on January 5, 2011, when the recipient returned to his business address after the Christmas break. The faxes were retrieved a couple of days later.
As a result of these errors and as a result of an investigation that revealed that guidance about the use of faxes could be made clearer and stronger, the Borough took steps to strengthen both its policy and staff training.
The second and third incidents occurred within a week of each other in December 2010, and both involved the transmission of a consent form giving only minor amounts of non-sensitive personal data. These errors were not realized at the time and came to light only on January 5, 2011, when the recipient returned to his business address after the Christmas break. The faxes were retrieved a couple of days later.As a result of these errors and as a result of an investigation that revealed that guidance about the use of faxes could be made clearer and stronger, the Borough took steps to strengthen both its policy and staff training.