Archive for the ‘storage’ Category

How to prepare your warehouse for the Christmas rush

Many warehouses experience a busy period over Christmas which is great for the business but can make keeping your warehouse organised during this period a difficult task. Here we discuss some of the things you can implement to make sure your warehouse is ready for the busier time and can run as efficiently as possible.

Signs
Signs are a cheap and effective method to ensure a safe and efficient warehouse environment. They are useful for both employees and any visitors to the warehouse. They can help locate stock, show designated routes and traffic flow as well as warn people about any potential hazards and the location of emergency exits and supplies. When planning your signs, ensure they are all clear, concise and up to date. Remove any conflicting or old signs to avoid confusion.

Shelving and Racks
Sufficient shelving and racking are more important than ever during busy times in your warehouse. They keep stock and inventories organised and also avoid cluttered floor creating trip hazards. It also makes everything easier to find which can improve productivity and efficiency.

Check to see if you have enough space for all your stock. If not, are you able to have more shelving or racking installed? Next, organise your stock to ensure bestsellers and fast-moving stock are easier to access. If you have seasonal stock, ensure out of season products are put further away to leave room for up-to-date stock.

Are you making the most of your storage space? Sometimes organisations can be reluctant to change the order of stock because employees are used to it being there. You should not worry about this and instead ensure your shelving is being used to its highest potential. If you think your shelving is organised effectively but you still do not have enough space, consider temporary shelving solutions which can be removed once the busy period is over.

Inspect your equipment
Maintenance schedules should always be in place for equipment but be prudent before the busy period. Check everything from printers and other IT equipment to forklifts, pallet trucks, sack trolleys and the shelving and racking itself. Identifying issues with equipment can save precious time and money and could even prevent serious injury occurring.

Wear protective clothing
Always ensure PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) such as hardhats, boots and hi-visibility vests are worn in warehouses if there are potential hazards. If you have high shelving and racking, ensure protective headwear is always worn as objects falling from a height is one of the most common causes of workplaces injuries.

Prepare for the unexpected
Not all situations are predictable, but you can still have procedures in place to accommodate the unexpected. For example, you cannot predict or control the weather, however you could have guidelines and preventive measures put in place to ensure the least amount of disruption is kept to a minimum. Ensuring transport is regularly maintained and that you have enough staff to cover any sicknesses or unexpected absences are two ways you can prepare for such scenarios.

Check breaks are being taken
Although everyone knows people need breaks, it’s not always easy to stop and have one when you are extremely busy. However, regular breaks must be enforced. Not only does it adversely affect the worker as they can become tired and less effective, it also has a knock-on effect on others and the productivity and efficiency of the overall warehouse.

Once the busy period hits, you won’t have time to spare to implement these into your warehouse so ensure you have prepared these in advance to ensure a smooth and efficient process throughout Christmas time.

Here at Logical Storage, we can offer high-quality mezzanine flooring for your business and are ready to discuss your warehouse storage requirements. For more information visit our website or call us on 0845 689 1300.

 

8 things to consider before investing in mezzanine flooring

A mezzanine floor is a partial floor that is added to premises that have high ceilings and provides extra space which can be used for office space, retail space or storage. Although a mezzanine floor can look amazing and provides vital space, there are some things you should consider before you make your purchase as it is a big financial decision that needs sufficient planning.

1. Check building regulations
Although the majority of mezzanine floors do not alter the exterior building and therefore do not require planning permission, this is not always the case. Check you do not require planning permission before moving ahead with the project. The rules vary significantly depending on your area and what type of building you have, for example, if your building is attached to someone else’s building or if it’s a listed building. If you do not ask first whether you need permission and it ends up having to be removed, it will be costly for your business in both time and money. If you are in doubt, check with your local authority.

2. Available height
The main measurement you must make is whether your ceiling is high enough to accommodate a mezzanine floor.

3. Size
Take into account the size of the floor you want to install, the size of the room and the size of the items you want to place on the mezzanine flooring. If you do not consider all of these measurements now, you will not be creating a mezzanine floor that matches your exact needs and makes the most of the additional space you could be creating.

4. Purpose
Before you start your mezzanine project, make sure you know exactly what its purpose is going to be. If its office space or storage, it will have an impact on its design and also how much weight the flooring has to support. These are all key considerations at the design stage.

5. Design
There are many interesting things you can do when designing a mezzanine floor so ensure you make the most of the space available. For example, if you are using the floor as office space, you could incorporate storage or bookcases into the balustrade that prevents people from falling over the edge.

6. Fire Safety
If adding a mezzanine level makes your business a three story premises, you will need to consider additional fire doors which again need to be factored in at design stage.

7. Temperature
As heat rises, the mezzanine flooring is at risk of becoming very hot. This will potentially have an impact on what you are storing if it is temperature sensitive. Also, if you are using it as office or retail space, you will need to consider what additional measures you will have to invest in in order to ensure people do not get too warm. This includes fans or an air conditioning unit.

8. Accessibility
If you are using the mezzanine floor as storage, you need to ensure people can access the items with ease and without compromising their safety. You need to ensure a secure handrail is provided and people are not carrying big or heavy items down the stairs.

This checklist should not deter you from getting mezzanine flooring as it can provide amazing additional space. However, by considering the list above, you will ensure that you have considered exactly what you want to gain from the flooring, meaning you are getting the most value from your investment.

Here at Logical Storage, we can offer high quality mezzanine flooring for your business and can discuss your warehouse storage requirements. For more information visit our website or call us on 0845 689 1300.