Large amount of pallet racking in a warehouse.

How To Prepare For A Pallet Racking Inspection

Posted by Chas on

If you run or have a warehouse, you likely have pallet racking. Pallet racking is a great warehouse storage tool. When used correctly, pallet racking can make storage easy, fast, and dense. It can also be very safe for warehouse staff and visitors.

However, if not maintained or used properly, pallet racking can pose a danger. Pallets can fall from racking or it can collapse due to unmitigated damage. Because of this, according to AS4084:23, pallet racking needs to be properly inspected every 12 months to check for damage or anything else that needs to be fixed. A pallet racking inspection needs to be done by a professional who will then give you a report on what needs to be rectified; once any problems are fixed, your pallet racking is certified for another 12 months.

When we book a pallet racking inspection for clients, they often wonder what needs to be done to prepare for it. Assuming your warehouse is operating safely, the short answer is that there isn’t much that needs to be done to prepare. However, if you’re unsure, there are a few considerations you may want to make before your upcoming pallet racking inspection.

Make Sure Your Warehouse Is Safe

Safety should always be the highest priority in a warehouse, and safety issues should always be addressed quickly. That being said, it’s also easy to become complacent over time. Although pallet racking inspectors aren’t there to find and report general safety concerns, an upcoming racking inspection is a good opportunity to go over any safety problems in your warehouse.

This may include checking fire safety devices, clear exits, and the general tidiness of your warehouse.

And Yes, Tidy Your Warehouse

A clean warehouse is a safe warehouse.

During your racking inspection, the inspector will need access to all of your pallet racking to check it for damage. This means that everything needs to be accessible. If some or part of your pallet racking isn’t accessible or can’t be seen by the inspector, they may not be able to finish. And if they can’t finish, they can’t certify your pallet racking as safe for another year.

Make sure your warehouse is clean and tidy so that the inspector can do their job quickly and let you get back to yours.

Rectify Any Pallet Racking Maintenance Issues

Ultimately, if a racking inspector finds a safety issue with your pallet racking, such as damage, you’ll be required to fix it before the pallet racking is certified. If you’re already aware of a problem with your pallet racking, get it fixed before the inspection. This will mean there’s less to do after the inspection and you can get certified quickly.

Going further, it also means that you can get your pallet racking fixed in your own time. For example, if there’s a problem with your racking that requires it to be unloaded, this can cause significant disruption to your business. It’s better to do this with the right planning rather than haphazardly after an inspection.

Other Than That, Operate Like Normal

A yearly pallet racking inspection isn’t designed to catch anybody out or get anybody in trouble. It’s designed to make sure pallet racking is safe and to prevent workplace injuries. With that in mind, pallet racking inspectors are there to help. If you’re unsure about how you should be using your pallet racking, ask your inspector. They can give you advice, get your pallet racking fixed, or even suggest alternatives to make your business operate more efficiently. Operating as normal will help your inspector see what needs to be changed.

If you need advice on pallet racking, or need to arrange an inspection, get in touch with us today.

Man installing office partitioning

When Is The Best Time For An Office Renovation

Posted by Chas on

Renovations and remodels are a fact of life, generally speaking. Sure, it’s not something that a business goes through every day, but whether it’s the office or the home, updating and renovating is something that needs to happen from time to time. People like to get their spaces updated and modernised because we want something new and different, we don’t want old technologies, and we also want to fix general wear and tear issues. This is the same with an office renovation. It’s important to modernise to keep the business looking good to customers, and to just keep ahead of maintenance issues.

All that being said, renovations can be inconvenient. Even when they’re completed quickly, there’s always a period of having to live through renovation. This may mean a meeting room is out of action for a couple days, employees don’t have as much space as they’re used to, and even temporary shut offs to utilities. And when it comes to utilities, even if the power is off for only an hour, it can really disrupt a business.

So all of that raises the question: when is the best time for an office renovation? This could mean when is the best time of year, or when is the best time for a business in general? Let’s take a look.

Consider Your Business Cycle

Ultimately, the most important thing to consider when doing an office renovation is how it will impact the business. With this in mind, consider the business cycle and how you can fit an office renovation in. All business have slow seasons, so obviously it’s best to try and schedule your office renovation into a time period when you know business is going to be slower.

Be wary, however, of times like Christmas holidays, where many service based business may be slow. During these periods, many commercial construction companies will have shut down periods or, at the very least, be working with few staff members due to people taking holidays. This may delay a project.

Going further, when planning your office renovation, make sure you start planning well before your intended renovation period. Planning and designing take time, as does sourcing and shipping materials for a renovation. If you’re hoping to start an office renovation during a quiet time for the business, you may need to start planning and engaging builders months in advance.

Consider Staffing

This goes for both when the best time for a renovation is and in general.

Office renovations may start to come up when employee needs change. Renovations aren’t just about the look and feel of an office, but some of the other conveniences like restrooms and kitchens. As a small example, if the office headcount grows to the point where the office kitchen is overcrowded and there’s no room for anybody’s lunch in the fridge, it may be time for a renovation. It may be time to move to a new office as well, but that’s another story.

Many businesses have natural staffing fluctuations, whether it’s taking on more people at a certain time of year, or a time when there’s a lot of staff away. If it’s the former, it’s probably a good idea that renovations happen before a large induction of new staff. If it’s the latter, try to schedule your office renovations during times of fewer staff.

Going further, if you can temporarily shift staff to working from home or at an alternative site, this could also be a good option to minimise disruption to the staff as well as the construction workers trying to get your new renovation done.

Consider Replacement Furniture, Fittings, And More

We touched on this before, but it’s important to consider lead time for construction material, as well as furniture and fitting. Because of this, when trying to decide if it’s time for an office renovation, consider what the condition of your most used furniture is going to be in a year. If you think furniture may need to be replaced now, it will definitely be completely worn out in a year. This means it’s time to start planning your renovation, speaking with designers, and getting quotes from builders. You won’t be in complete renovation mode for a whole year, but by the time everything is done, 12 months will have passed.

Get Some Advice

Feel free to contact us if you’re considering an office renovation. The planning process can take a long time, so it’s best to engage a builder early.

Office Fit-out

Why You Need A Professional To Do Your Make Good

Posted by Chas on

When a commercial lease is finished, it’s usually the obligation of the departing tenant to return the building back to its original condition. This is what’s referred to as an end of lease make good, and it involves removing all furniture, fixtures, fittings, and modifications that may have been installed by a commercial tenant.

When a commercial tenant moves into a premises, it’s often given a basic and empty building: it’s a shell. The business can then make modifications to the building as needed. It may paint it to suit its brand, install features that are needed for its business operation, and even put up walls and partitions so it can use the building as it’s needed. When a lease is finished, the old tenant is expected to remove these things.

Usually make good obligations are outlined in the commercial lease. That is, what the tenant is expected to do, what it doesn’t need to do, and any other agreements around finalising the commercial lease and returning the building back to its original state. Of course, this may include negotiations with the landlord that allow the tenant to keep some of the modifications in place without having to pay to remove them.

But generally speaking, a commercial contract will outline that a tenant can either settle with the landlord for a fee, making it the landlord’s responsibility to return the building to its original state; or the tenant can complete the make good themselves, either organising their own tradespeople or using a professional commercial builder to complete the end of lease make good.

For a lot of businesses, they may find simply settling with the landlord the most convenient option. There are a lot of things to do when relocating a business, and the last thing an operations team wants to do is try and get their old premises back to its original state. Settling with the landlord is a fast and easy option, and one that may be suitable if there’s more budget than there is time and other resources.

However, for businesses that choose to organise their own end of lease make good, there is the opportunity to save a lot of money, and if they hire a builder to do the work, save just as much hassle as settling with the landlord.

A business’ operations team may think the only way to save money on make good obligations is to organise all aspects of the make good themselves, but this simply isn’t true. Settlements with the landlord are always going to be in the landlord’s favour, so it’s generally going to be the most expensive option when it comes to finalising a commercial lease. Of course money can be saved by a business managing a project themselves, using a commercial builder is still going to be a less expensive option than settling with the landlord.

If your business is going to be ending a lease soon, it’s worthwhile talking to us to find out how we can help with end of lease make good obligations. You may be surprised at how reasonable it all comes to.

Man painting a wall red.

What Is Turnkey Construction?

Posted by Chas on

When it comes to construction projects, they can be delivered in a variety of ways. Sometimes a client has a design already done and just needs a builder to build the project to specifications. Other times, the client needs everything done; a true end-to-end construction project. This is turnkey construction.

Here at A1 Precision Solutions, we pride ourselves on being a turnkey commercial construction company. While we can (and do) deliver projects designed by clients, for most clients, we do the full design work, seek permits, and build the project. The project is delivered ready to use, with very little (if anything) left to do for the client. All the client needs to do is come to their facility at the completion of the project, open the door (i.e. turn the key) and get on with running their business.

What’s Involved In A Turnkey Construction Project?

As mentioned, a turnkey construction project involves completing all aspects of the project for the client. Construction projects aren’t just about building something, they’re also about planning, designing, seeking permits where appropriate, building, and actually managing the build itself with project managers.

An example of a turnkey construction project would involve an office fit-out. An office fit-out may involve stripping or de-fitting the old office, painting and installing new carpets, installing new fixtures, and finally moving in and setting up all the office equipment. It would also involve making sure all utilities are installed and work as needed. In some cases, if the building’s purpose is being changed, permits may also be required. Throughout all this, planning and management is also needed.

Basically, an office fit-out isn’t just putting some desks in and calling it a day, it’s creating a new workspace that’s fit for purpose. A business that’s seeking a new office may be very good at what they do, but they’re not experts at creating new workspaces. We are, and that’s why our clients rely on us to take care of every aspect of a fit-out project.

What Are The Advantages Of Using A Turnkey Construction Firm?

Using a turnkey construction company means that, as a client, you don’t have to manage anything. We collect a brief from the client, design the project, complete the project, then hand it over to the client. The advantage here is that the client can be confident that everything is taken care of and nothing is forgotten.

If a client attempts to cut corners and manage a project themselves, important aspects of the project may be missed, leading to complications in the future. For example, a client may assume that the building they’re moving into has the electrical infrastructure in place to support their business; this assumption can be disastrous if the client gets it wrong. 

While it may sound expensive to leave the full management and production of a project to a third party, in a lot of ways, it’s no more expensive and can even save a client money. Think about it, design services and engineers need to be paid for, whether a client is managing them or not. Trades need to be hired and paid for, regardless of who’s managing the project.  Even a project manager needs to be paid for, and that’s either the wage of someone internal managing the project, or the wage of an external project manager hired by a turnkey builder like ourselves. The only thing that’s missing when a turnkey construction firm is used is the headache of trying to do a big project yourself.

Speak To Us About Your Next Project

Regardless of how much you want to be involved in your next project, we’re happy to help. If you’re unsure, contact us to talk about your project. We can offer guidance on the entirety of the project and help you decide what aspects you may need help with.

Two sets of cantilever racking in a warehouse. The cantilever racking is holding long spans of a material.

What Is Cantilever Racking?

Posted by Chas on

Warehouse racking isn’t just all about pallet racking. There are different ways to store goods in warehousing, and one of these ways is with cantilever racking. When storing things in a warehouse, it’s important to use the right kind storage; the kind of storage that suits what’s being stored. For a lot of things stored in a warehouse, it’s often most convenient to store of those things on pallets, then it’s easiest to store those pallets on pallet racking. And there are different kinds of pallet racking that are designed for specific types of storage.

Cantilever racking is simply a type of racking designed for a specific task. That task is storing longer items.

What Is Cantilever Racking Used For?

As mentioned, cantilever racking is useful for storing long items like piping and lengths of wood. Pallet racking can be good for storing items of uniform size that fit into slots of specific heights and widths, but for other items, something else is needed.

Cantilever racking is designed with arms sticking out as cantilevers (hence the name), meaning that support struts don’t get in the way of storage. This allows for long items to be stored without support structures getting in the way, allowing items to come directly on and off the racking easily. In this way, forklifts can easily be used to store and remove items from the racking.

Any long item can be stored on cantilever racking easily. As already mentioned, it’s often good for piping or lumber, but it can also be used to store lengths of wire or rolls of carpeting. Basically any long item that wouldn’t fit on pallet racking or shelving.

Cantilever Racking Isn’t A Replacement For Shelving

Industrial shelving can be useful for storing items that are palletised or that may be too awkward to fit on pallet racking, but it’s different from cantilever racking. As mentioned, cantilever racking doesn’t have vertical support struts that get the way of storing longer items, meaning it’s perfect for longer items. Shelving, on the other hand, has vertical supports that make it difficult (if not impossible) to store long items.

With that in mind, cantilever racking also often lacks decking that allows for items of all lengths to be stored on it. A limitation of cantilever racking is that items need to be long enough to sit on the cantilever arms because there’s no support structure beneath them. In situations where items are too short or small, standard industrial shelving, or even general pallet racking may be a more suitable storage solution.

But Cantilever Racking Can Be Customised

All of this doesn’t mean that cantilever racking can’t be customised though.

One main customisation of cantilever racking is adjusting the heights between cantilever arms as well as the angle at which they’re mounted. For some items, having the arms completely horizontal is fine, but for other items like piping, it’s usually advisable to have the arms angled to prevent the piping from rolling off the racking.

Beyond that, cantilever racking can be further customised to allow it to support a variety of weights and lengths. Here at A1 Precision Solutions, we’ve even custom fabricated cantilever racking to have decking on it. This essentially creates very long space shelving that can be adapted to store items of various sizes and lengths.

Is Cantilever Racking Right For You?

Cantilever racking may be a good solution for your warehouse storage, but other solutions are also available.

In the world of warehouse storage, there are so many options, it’s often a good idea to talk to an expert. Because of this, get in touch with us to discuss your storage needs. We’re happy to help.

Close up of a pallet live storage system.

What Is Pallet Live Storage?

Posted by Chas on

Different warehouse storage scenarios call for different types of pallet racking. Some situations need all pallet positions easily accessible, others need high density storage solutions.

Pallet live storage is a type of pallet racking that works well as a dense storage solution. What makes it unique from other dense pallet racking is that it’s loaded from the back and unloaded from the front. The pallet racking itself has runners on it, with the whole pallet racking system on a slight tilt to allow pallets to automatically move down the lanes. This makes pallet live storage much different from a lot of other dense pallet storage solutions, with its main advantage being a first in, first out storage system.

The Advantages Of Pallet Live Storage

As already mentioned, pallet live storage is a first in, first out storage solution. This makes it convenient for storing items that may be perishable or don’t have the kind of rotation that makes first in, last out multi-deep pallet storage acceptable. If you look at other multi-deep pallet storage, like push back pallet racking, you can store pallets as deep as is practical, but the pallets at the back are blocked in. Meanwhile, with pallet live storage, you can have pallets stored as deep as is practical, but the first pallets that went in are the most accessible.

The other advantage to pallet live storage’s first in, first out system is in safety. Since pallets are being loaded and one end of the pallet racking and unloaded on the other side of the pallet racking, materials handling equipment can stay in specific spaces while also limiting traffic because one area is designated as loading and one area is designated as unloading.

This safety advantage also makes pallet live storage a relatively quick storage solution. In conventional pallet racking, if a forklift driver looking to load a pallet onto racking near where another driver is unloading a pallet from racking, the first driver needs to wait. However, if these functions are happening in separate areas, this lower traffic allows workers to work faster.

Things To Consider With Pallet Live Storage

Although pallet live storage is a good choice of pallet racking for a lot of scenarios, it does tend to be more expensive than a lot of other forms of pallet racking. This is because pallet live storage literally has a lot of moving parts and is more complicated than pallet racking that simply holds pallets in place. It’s more complex, but can be worth it for the cost savings of increased storage density.

With that, although pallet live storage is dense, access to the front and back of the pallet racking is still needed, which may not be suitable in some warehouse situations. This, of course, also cuts on storage density by adding another aisle. This may be worthwhile if you need dense pallet storage that’s also first in, first out. It’s also worth considering that pallet live storage is fast.

Although pallet live storage has a lot of good use applications, especially where a warehouse may be storing many pallets of the same SKU, it’s also very useful in a crossing docking situation. When used at a cross dock, all of pallet live storage’s strengths come into effect with very few of its negatives. Since loading and unloading happen at different sides of the pallet racking, inbound goods are easily separated from outbound goods. Some of the selectivity issues often found in dense storage are also removed because rather than trying to keep pallets of the same SKU in the same row, each row of the pallet live storage can just be treated as a queue of pallets waiting for be dispatched.

Consider Pallet Live Storage For Your Warehouse

As with any kind of pallet racking, pallet live storage may be a good solution for your warehouse, or there may be a better solution. If you need advice on the best kind of pallet racking for your situation, please get in touch with us. We’re happy to help and provide advice.