The success of a cold storage warehouse rests on the installation of the right equipment for your operation. Get it right, and things run smoothly and professionally; get it wrong, and it could affect your business in a negative way.
Table of Contents
1 Protect your Product and your Staff
At the top of your purchase list should be PVC Door Curtains. PVC strip curtains are invaluable for the protection and safe storage of your products as they can prevent contamination from outside pollutants, dirt, debris and bacteria. They also help to reduce noise levels which is vital for the wellbeing of staff working within storage areas. PVC Door Curtains facilitate the easier maintenance of cleanliness, airflow and temperature control in areas where these factors are paramount, and they also allow easier access for forklift trucks and other machinery into cordoned off areas.
2 Appropriate Clothing
Staff who work in a cold storage environment must be provided with correct and adequate clothing in order to allow them to work comfortably and productively. This could include items such as heavy or padded jackets or leggings, gloves which are warm and which don’t restrict feel or movement, and warm headgear. Where staff are working in freezer areas for any length of time, they may need specialist insulated clothing which is water and tear resistant. Correct footwear must be worn, and this may need to include shoes or boots with reinforced toe and heel sections. At the very least you may need to provide workers with overalls or warehouse coats to protect their regular clothing as well as the products within the work area.
3 Insulation
Any cold storage warehouse is only as good as the level of insulation it contains. Temperature and heat control is therefore vital to keep the stored products in optimum condition – whether that be food, medicine or agricultural supplies. If insulation is inadequate or old and worn, your warehouse will be subject to fluctuating temperatures which could be harmful not only for stored products but also for workers. Aside from PVC Door Curtains which do an excellent job of regulating interior temperatures you should also install wall and floor insulation as well. Where a door curtain is not required – at the entrance to freezer rooms for instance – an insulated door is a must to reduce humidity, control moisture and regulate temperature. A thermally insulated door system should also have the advantage of a rapid opening/closing mechanism to ensure minimum disruption of airflow. Insulated wall panelling helps to prevent the transfer of heat from outside to inside while an insulated floor also contributes to the regulation of temperature within a cold storage warehouse. All of these will help towards energy savings and lowering the overall costs of running your warehouse.
4 Shelving and Racking
A high-quality shelving and storage system is vital in any cold storage business but especially so where food or pharmaceutical products are handled. The essential considerations of a shelving system involve hygiene and access. Shelving and racking must first of all be easy to clean and maintain and should be made of a material that will not disintegrate or become unsafe. A shelving and racking system which is easy to navigate and which allows for easy access to store products should be installed to enable workers and machinery to work around them.
Successful cold storage warehouses are an essential component of the food, pharmaceutical, agricultural and manufacturing industries. Make sure yours has everything you need to maintain your energy efficiency, guarantee the quality of your products and ultimately help your business flourish.