DATA & DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT OFF THE SHELF
Space is both a costly and scarce commodity and storage of any sort consumes not inconsiderable
amounts of that space, so it is important to make the most of it, says Richard Ryan Managing Director of Forster Ecospace.
Determining the most suitable storage solution requires various factors to be considered. What are the items to be stored? Who needs to be able to access them? How frequently is access required? How much space is available? Is security relevant? How much of the area’s height can be utilised? Only when these questions have been resolved – by a detailed survey if necessary – can a conclusion then be reached concerning the best possible method of storage.
“OFFICES NEED TO
STORE A RANGE OF ITEMS, FROM FILING TO STATIONERY OR
CLEANING MATERIALS.”
Available in both manually and electronically-operated versions, mobile shelving is a form of storage that lends itself to a great many applications. It greatly reduces the space required for fixed gangways between shelving stacks, it makes maximum use of the available floor area and, building height permitting, it can even provide a two tier solution with a mezzanine floor.
Regardless of location, it’s important to have the right sort of storage. For example, small objects are best stored in small compartments or drawers; files are best located in lateral or suspended filing frames; larger objects can be stored on open shelves and certain objects such as pictures, need to be stored vertically. Weight also needs to be considered so that shelves must be capable of taking the items that will be stored.
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Offices in particular have a need to store a range of different items, which can encompass anything from stationery, office accessories, cleaning materials, filing in various forms, card indexes, books, archived materials and even large plans.
Accessories such as drawers and wardrobe rails, pull out shelves and filing cradles combined with shelves and dividers of varying depths and widths give shelving – be it fixed or mobile - considerable versatility. Protection from dust can be achieved by fitting doors to shelving bays. Security can also be achieved in mobile shelving by fitting locks to one or more of the stacks so that, when in the ‘closed’ position, access to any unauthorised individual can be denied.
A further benefit derived from sophisticated shelving systems is the ability to combine different means of storage within the same unit. For example, within a single ‘bay’ 1m x 2.1m (itself part of a ‘stack’ of shelving consisting of a number of such bays), adjustable shelves, filing frames (both lateral and suspended) and card index drawers can be set at different levels to suit the particular requirements of the individual organisation.
In offices, fitting mobile shelving into an existing environment where carpets may already be laid, and the upheaval occasioned by cutting chases in structural floors to accommodate tracks, can be awkward, but it is not a problem. A base sits on top of both the structural floor and carpet; the tracks are recessed into this to give a flush surface. There is also the advantage that, if in future the shelving is moved to another location, it can be dismantled and re-laid.
Environmental conditions can also be satisfied by high-quality steel shelving. When finished with a polyester powder coating, the material is inert and poses no risk to items stored. If additional ventilation is required for storage, this can be achieved by fitting perforated steel end panels and upright frames with perforated infill panels to shelving stacks to enhance air flow. This is a particularly relevant factor if storage areas are required to meet PD5454 recommendations for archival storage.
In short, good quality adjustable mobile shelving lends itself to many different storage needs and offers considerable saving in space. Purchasers should, however, look at the supplier as well as the product to ensure that there is the technical expertise to advise on both the best solution for the particular application.
www.ecospace.co.uk twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
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