The shopkeeper or warehouse manager has decided to purchase a boltless shelving system and must now establish the area available to use. In doing so they should also be aware of Health and Safety regulations. For example, the system must not block a fire exit or fire point, making access to a fire extinguisher or fire alarm difficult. The system should not impede the staff from reaching a first-aid box either.

When all these requirements have been met, the retailer will place his or her order. Upon arrival, their first job should be to check that all the components have been included. It is unlikely that a mistake has been made, but there is nothing more annoying than having almost reached the end of the job, the final component needed has not been packed. Full assembly instructions for the storage unit will be supplied.

Unpack the system and begin by placing a post flat on the ground so that the post connector slots are inside. Typically, post connectors will be adjustable every 12 inches or so. Now place the post connectors at the required location. They will usually be evenly spaced and there must always be one at the top and one at the bottom of the post.

Start at the bottom and tap in one side of the post connector and lock it straight away. Tap in the other side and lock. As you work your way up the post it may need to be spread slightly. To ensure the post connector has been securely locked use a screwdriver or a monkey wrench. Your shelving unit is now in place and can start to help de-clutter your working area.

It is not the act of a mad person to decide to build their own house.  It will be possible, for example, to design rooms to fit shelving systems and storage shelving. You get to choose the number of rooms, where to install bathrooms, how to shape the kitchen to include storage cabinets and so. The cost of self-building is not as horrendous as you might imagine. As many as 20,000 people self-build their homes every year, so you are not on your own by any means. Also the actual value of your finished home is higher. For instance, in one area of the country, a self-build house was worth 108% more than a comparable developer built house.

One thing you need to consider is the storage space available in your self-built home. Many families find that there simply isn’t enough shelving or secure storage in their house but of course the beauty of building your own is that you get to decide the space that you set aside and where it will work best for you.  Many people incorporate workshops or garages into their plans so that they have space for all those projects and places to store equipment both during the build process and afterwards. All workshops need a solid workbench too.

Make you keep to the plans which have been approved by all relevant authorities and build the dream home you have always wanted. Make sure that you enjoy the process as well as the results!

If you have decided to build your own wooden shelving system for the garage and decided where to locate it, your next task is to make sure you have all the necessary tools for the job before you start. Tape measure, hammer and nails, a spirit level, clamps, sand-paper, set square, a mitre saw and enough wood. You may wish to consider wood preservative and stain or varnish as well, but these can be looked at afterwards.

Begin by building the shelving system frame, cut two vertical posts to the required size. Now cut eight pieces that are a third of the length of the vertical posts. Next cut eight pieces, two thirds of the length of the vertical posts. Find the studs on the garage wall. Affix four of the two-thirds length pieces to these studs and space the, cut pieces out so that they are approximately 18 inches apart, not forgetting to use the spirit level to make sure they are horizontal.

Now construct two half ladders, one ladder should comprise of the vertical post and fix four pieces of timber that are a third of the vertical post’s length. These are the frames that go on either side. Then affix the half ladders to either side of the four pieces you previously attached to the wall. Clamp them then nail them together. Fix together the remaining four pieces of two-thirds length wood. Finally, cut shelves and nail them to each shelving frame. When finished, coat the shelving system with wood preservative.

A German company, over 50 years ago, invented the steel racking systems, also known as the boltless shelving system.  They decided to use slotted steel sections for warehouse technology.  In doing so, this company set new standards in flexibility, importantly when responding to their customers’ needs. Whether it is a multi-national organisation with massive warehouses or a corner shop grocer with a small stock room, boltless shelving is an ideal answer to their problems.

Although the patent remains with this particular company, other organisations were quick to recognise the potential of this system and have developed their own versions, still basing the idea on the concept of simplicity, strength and speed of assembly. They have also realised that tailor making a boltless shelving system for individual retailers helps not only their profit margin but their reputation as well.

The German inventors of the boltless shelving system are still developing the product in Germany.  Due to their years of experience in warehouse logistics technology and the interaction with their various customers, they are still refining and developing their manufacture of the system. The boltless shelving system has a modular design; this means that the warehouse’s changing demands can be catered for with ease.

The available space in a warehouse or stock room is utilised to the maximum using this system. A simple one storey or a multi-level racking system can be used. If unusually long depths or widths are required, the same system can still be used, so using a different system is not necessary.

A small commercial garage, especially in these tough economic times, is a very difficult enterprise to run successfully. There are several factors key to the survival of a business such as this.

The quality of service is important. The word of mouth factor is a powerful aspect and information about a good repair job that is reasonably priced will soon spread around the local area. MOT tests are a fact of life that have been with us for a good many years now and small garages benefit from offering their expertise in making sure a vehicle is roadworthy and if there are any repairs or fine tunings needed to offer these as well.

In order to keep up to date with the plethora of paperwork, from receipts for sales to invoices for items purchased, an efficient storage system is vital. The average small garage will probably have an office with a personal computer using a variety of software packages to keep on top of the stock-ordering, accounts’ balancing and word-processing tasks needed. Effective document storage and file storage should be ensured both as hard copy and stored electronically on removable media as well as the computer’s hard-drive.

The garage shelving and storage shelves should be robust and hard-wearing to cope with the rigours of their environment. Mechanics’ tools, engine parts and so on will be stored here. If possible, it would be advisable to store these expensive items in a lockable area of the garage.  A cage with a heavy-duty padlock is one idea.

A stock controller’s worst nightmare is a disorganised stock-room. An efficient stock clerk will carry out a stock check at least once a week. A newly employed stock controller should always carry out a full stock check on his first day. The last thing he needs is old, out of date items that have been pushed to the back whenever a new delivery has arrived and been stored away. Plastic storage boxes might be the solution, but not easy to check everything that is in them.

Free-standing shelving systems would seem to be the perfect answer. With castors to make them easy to move around, the stock controller will be able to see what is in stock and how much or how many.

Ideally, this shelving system will be quick and easy to construct with the option of having all of its shelves adjustable. Depending on the type of products needing to be stored, this type of system may have a load bearing capacity of up to 500kg. The buyer is advised to check with the retailer’s sales office regarding this matter, the system does need to comply with Health and Safety regulations

The supplier of the shelving systems should also offer to retail accessories to their systems such as; shelf dividers, modular boxes and bins for small parts. A typical feature of this type of shelving system is the lightweight but sturdy shelf. The reason this kind of shelf is so light but strong is that it is made from cold rolled and formed steel.

Workbenches that can be folded and stored away when not in use have become an essential resident in the garage or garden shed of many amateur DIY enthusiasts. This is especially true if floor space is limited or their users only tend to want to make use of them on the odd occasion.

The portable work bench will, typically, be sturdily built, usually with a load bearing capacity of up to 450 pounds, but easy to lift and carry when folded so that it can be stored out of the way. It will usually have features such as being adjustable to two heights so that it can be used either as a workbench, a sawhorse, a bench tool stand or a vice. The top may be constructed of particle board so it would be best to ensure it is cleaned and dried after use.

There are several different types of portable workbenches. For instance there is one that is not only a clamping work bench but also doubles as a hand cart. This is really useful since it will help you transport heavy items around the garden, garden shed or garage areas.

As the workbenches become more sophisticated, this will be reflected in their price.  However, there are other heavy duty work stands of a more basic design that, nevertheless, might well be suitable for the potential project. Some have more storage space than others.
Typically, it will have steel tubing construction and be ideal for working on car doors, bumpers or bonnets because of its foam padded top.

In warehouses, the storing of packaged goods and bulky items is often necessary. To this end, industrial metal shelving is ideal for the job. Typically, shelf load bearing capacities may range from 300 to 1000 pounds in weight.

There are two basic types of shelving. Open shelving with cross strut bracing on the sides and back. Closed shelving has solid sides and back. Open shelving is well suited to store the larger or bulkier items while closed shelving is best for the storage of smaller items.

There are a good many different sizes of shelves available as well. The depths vary from 12 to 36 inches, typically there are three widths of shelf, from 36 to 48 inches, and their heights range from 39 to 123 inches.  Some shelves are installed with clips and are adjustable. As an alternative to the metal cross back brace, some shelving units have gussets and this makes them easy to access from both sides.

Dividers may be available to separate different categories of stock from each other on the same shelf. Many metal shelving systems may be mounted on tracks to make best possible use of what may sometimes be a limited amount of floor space.

Some industries require a clean, dust-free environment – industries such as food, medical supplies, electronics and retail for example. In these cases, wire metal shelving units are perfect for the job. Typically, a wire shelving unit will be quick and easy to fit together and disassembly is equally simple.

When a filing system becomes unwieldy and inefficient, it can be a cause of inefficiency which in turn may lead to potentially harmful mistakes being made. A government department, for example, that still has traditional filing cabinets may no longer be able to operate this system because of increased volume of paperwork, files, periodicals and so forth.

With computers now very much a feature of any governmental department, it is clear that its paper document storage system needs to be updated. The traditional filing system should be moved away from and a space-saving alternative must be considered.  Not only is this idea practical, it also enhances the working environment and this in turn will result in more efficient operation of the department.

The manager’s next task is to decide on a company to provide him or her with a storage solution that will work inside the monetary limitations.  The department will require a fast turnaround and a robust shelf storage system. The advantage of a fast turnaround time is that the storage system will be installed quickly and this will cause as little disruption to office procedures as possible.

The ideal shelf storage system will have a small footprint, that is to say, it will take up as little space as possible. It should have a track that can be laid on the floor rather than having a line dug into the floor to accommodate the track. Castors at the front and a track only at the back will be ideal and there will be no trip hazard.

Modern train stations usually have storage locker areas where you are able to hire the use of one of these lockers, once your bag or case has passed through a scanner in, for example, Manchester Victoria station. This system has the advantage of ensuring the safety of the staff and users of the station.

Luggage vans are mostly used for the transportation of mail sacks, bicycles, wheelchairs and the larger passenger luggage that is impossible to store elsewhere.

Finding a seat on a train during the busy periods is almost impossible, let alone a storage space for your suitcase or backpack. Booking your seat in advance is a definite advantage, although on the really packed trains, actually reaching them can be problematic. If you have managed that feat however, there will usually be a storage rack running parallel to the trains’ side and above your head. These storage racks have ample room for a family sized suitcase or a rucksack.

Should there not be enough storage space in the rack, some train carriages are so arranged as to provide an area behind the passenger seats for luggage storage. Most carriages are now built with sizeable storage bays at both the front and the back. The bays will typically consist of a single shelf with plenty of storage room above and below it. Some carriages are built with a view to seating as many passengers as possible. This will cut down on the amount of space for luggage, but only to a certain extent.