By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
Mastering these skills will help you keep materials organized and your workplace running smoothly in any trade environment.
Compiled by: David Owino
Organizing storage equipment is a fundamental aspect of effective materials management across all professional fields in Kenya. Proper storage ensures that materials are preserved in good condition, easily accessible, and safely handled, which directly impacts operational efficiency and cost control. From county referral hospitals managing medical supplies to retail businesses handling diverse product inventories, the classification and organization of storage equipment must be tailored to meet specific material needs and workplace environments. This chapter explores the classification of storage equipment and the importance of organizing them systematically to support smooth organizational operations.
Storage equipment is the furniture, structures and systems in which materials are held while they are in the store. Classifying it helps the storekeeper and the procurement officer match each kind of material to the right equipment, according to its size, weight, quantity, value and how often it is issued. Four main classes are used: shelving and racking systems, bulk storage containers, automated storage and retrieval systems, and drawer storage systems. Example: a motor spares distributor may keep tyres on racks, engine oil in drums and tanks, small fast-moving parts in automated carousels and nuts, bolts and fuses in drawer cabinets.
Shelving and racking systems are fixed or movable frames with horizontal levels on which goods are placed, making use of the height of the store. Shelving usually holds loose items and cartons placed by hand, while racking is a heavier structure designed to hold palletised loads or long and heavy items placed by forklift or other equipment. Together they are the basic storage equipment of most stores.
| Name | Specification | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Light-duty shelving | Steel or wooden shelves, adjustable, loaded by hand | Cartons, stationery, small packaged goods |
| Medium and heavy-duty shelving | Bolted steel frames with reinforced shelves | Heavier cartons, spare parts, tools |
| Adjustable pallet racking | Steel uprights and beams, beam height adjustable, marked load per level | Palletised goods placed and removed by forklift |
| Drive-in racking | Rails on which pallets rest, forklift drives into the rack | Large quantities of the same item, high density storage |
| Cantilever racking | Arms projecting from a central column, no front uprights | Long items such as pipes, timber, steel bars |
| Mobile shelving | Shelves on rails that roll together, opening one aisle at a time | Saves floor space for slow-moving items and records |
| Flow (gravity) racking | Inclined roller lanes, loaded from the back, picked from the front | First-in first-out stock rotation of cartons or pallets |
Bulk storage containers hold large quantities of loose solid materials, liquids or gases that are not packed in individual units. They allow materials such as grain, cement, sand, fuel, oils and chemicals to be stored and drawn off in measured quantities. The container must suit the physical and chemical nature of the material, for example tanks resistant to corrosion for chemicals, or silos with aeration for grain.
| Name | Specification | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Silos | Tall steel or concrete cylinders, filled from the top, emptied from the bottom | Grain, cement, animal feed and other free-flowing solids |
| Tanks | Steel, plastic or fibreglass, above or below ground, with gauges and valves | Fuel, oils, water, liquid chemicals |
| Bins and hoppers | Metal or plastic, open or with lids, some with sloping bottoms for discharge | Loose materials such as sand, aggregates, granules |
| Drums and barrels | Steel or plastic, typically 200 litres | Oils, lubricants, paints and chemicals in medium quantities |
| Intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) | Plastic tank in a steel cage on a pallet base, about 1,000 litres | Liquids moved by forklift and dispensed by tap |
| Flexible bulk bags | Woven polypropylene bags with lifting loops, about 1 tonne | Fertiliser, sugar, granules |
| Gas cylinders and cages | Pressure cylinders stored upright in secured cages | Industrial gases such as oxygen and acetylene |
An automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) is a computer-controlled system that places goods into storage locations and retrieves them on request, with little or no manual handling. The storekeeper enters or scans the item code, and the system's crane, shuttle or carousel brings the item to a pick station or puts it away in a free location, while the inventory record is updated automatically. AS/RS is used in large, high-volume warehouses where the investment is justified by savings in labour, space and errors.
| Name | Specification | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Unit-load AS/RS | Stacker cranes in very tall racks moving full pallets | High-volume pallet storage in distribution centres |
| Mini-load AS/RS | Cranes or shuttles handling totes and cartons | Small parts and cartons for order picking |
| Vertical carousel | Shelves rotating vertically in a closed cabinet, brought to the operator | Small parts, tools and spares in limited floor space |
| Horizontal carousel | Bins rotating on an oval track | Fast picking of small items |
| Vertical lift module | Trays stored in a tall cabinet, an extractor brings the tray to an opening | Dense storage of spares and small goods |
A drawer storage system holds small items in sliding drawers within cabinets, often divided into compartments. It protects small, loose and valuable items from dust, loss and damage, and keeps each item in a labelled compartment so that it is found quickly. Drawer storage is suited to stores that hold many small items, such as electronic components, fasteners, small tools, instruments and spares.
| Name | Specification | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Modular drawer cabinet | Steel cabinet with full-extension drawers, adjustable dividers, central locking | Small parts, tools and spares |
| Small parts organiser | Plastic or metal frame with many small transparent drawers | Screws, washers, fuses, electronic parts |
| Plan (flat file) cabinet | Wide shallow drawers | Drawings, plans and large documents |
| Lockable tool cabinet | Drawers with key or code lock, sometimes on castors | Valuable hand tools and instruments |
| Filing cabinet | Vertical drawers for files | Stores records and documents |
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Create a free accountThis chapter explored the various classifications of material storage equipment, including shelving and racking systems, bulk storage containers, automated storage and retrieval systems, and drawer storage systems. It highlighted the importance of organizing storage equipment to enhance efficiency, safety, and inventory management within organizations. The principles guiding effective storage equipment organization were discussed, focusing on categorization, accessibility, labelling, and regular maintenance to ensure optimal functionality. Factors influencing the choice of storage equipment were examined, emphasizing considerations such as the nature of materials, space availability, and operational requirements. The chapter also underscored the necessity of proper documentation for storage equipment to maintain accurate records and facilitate smooth operations. Overall, the content provided a comprehensive understanding of how to select, organize, and manage storage equipment effectively in various organizational contexts.
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