The Role of Storage Systems in Safety and Efficiency of Food and Beverage Distribution Centers

January 22, 2020 4:23 pm

Shelving has become a specialized factor of food and beverage warehouse design. The government has imposed regulations at the federal, state, and municipal levels. This is why it is important to confer with the right consultants. In addition to government regulations and any possible seismic considerations, safety and productivity are important factors to consider when you need industrial steel shelving for your food and beverage warehouse.

Safety
It is necessary to take the types of products into account when considering steel shelving systems and think of how much of each type of inventory will generally need to be accommodated. Storing liquids is a different situation than storing cereals, obviously. The steel storage shelving will be different for each of these applications, as there will be different considerations in terms of stress and load. There will be insurance requirements and fire codes like alarms, methods of containment, and fire exits to take into account, in practical terms of storing anything flammable. If there is multi-level industrial steel shelving or a mezzanine work platform, the railings, stairs, gates, and ladders as well as other elements must be safety-compliant and take any seismic considerations into account.

Worker Productivity
In addition to planning a safe environment, the floor plan design of a warehouse can have a big impact on productivity. In order to have increased efficiency within your floor staff, a successful and error-free shipping history, maintain inventory control, and decrease operating costs, ideally, the entire warehouse will be planned into specific areas, such as product storage, packing, and loading. Shorter aisles make for quicker product picking and order fulfillment, as they will cut retrieval times by half. When thinking of redesigning a warehouse, it is important to consider what needs to function better, for instance, how long it takes the receiving personnel to process an order, the amount of time it takes to pick an item on average, and whether it is possible to streamline the returns process further. If there are any processes that can be improved through the layout of the steel storage shelving, then the redesign should focus specifically on these areas.

Western Pacific Storage Solutions has its own excellent engineering department that will work with design professionals in terms of compliance with government regulations and any applicable seismic standards required of the industrial steel shelving solutions. This is with consideration to the dimensions of the food and beverage warehouse and the foundation of the building itself. In addition, Western Pacific is used to and even thrives on working with companies that have extraordinary needs, such as stress, weight, function, and loading capabilities. We all know that planning it right and keeping cost-effectiveness in mind is where it’s at. Contact us to start the conversation regarding your steel storage shelving needs.

Categorised in: