The healthcare industry has certainly been under pressure the last 12 months, even before the onset of COVID-19, the healthcare industry develops at a faster pace than most. Now it has to adapt to new challenges, and healthcare institutions are relying heavily on technology to quickly adapt to these changes.
For the smooth and successful delivery of healthcare products and services, the right warehouse storage solutions must be implemented. There are many different healthcare organisations and all have different needs, so as a result, there is a demand for custom storage solutions to store relevant goods which consist of the storage of medicines, patient records, x-rays, instruments, textiles and much more.
When looking at warehouse storage solutions for the healthcare industry we need to take into consideration the following factors:
- Is it a sterile environment?
- What are the security and safety aspects we need to address?
- How much space do we need to save?
- What products will be stored?
- Are there any temperature requirements to consider?
Is it a sterile environment?
The solution for a sterile environment would need to meet specific standards and prevent any bacterial contamination, so any warehouse storage solution installed would need to have a special antimicrobial powder coating applied which then creates the ideal surface for the storage of goods that need to be protected against things such as E-coli, MRSA, Listeria, COVID-19.
The storage solution must be cleaned regularly and thoroughly as the antimicrobial powder coating is not a substitute for proper cleaning procedures.
Security and safety aspects
As one would imagine the safe and secure storage of medical goods is imperative, as well as this, there can be absolutely no room for error, as this could have fatal consequences. With warehouse storage solutions there are specific products that can be installed that can increase security within certain storage areas, if required, such as mesh, glass or steel partitioning. Another option is to invest in a computer-controlled storage machine, such as a horizontal Carousel which will improve the efficiency of your storage and picking process – and can be easily customisable for specific operating environments.
Space-saving
Storage systems for commercial or industrial units can be bespoke designed to fit the space you have available and the product you need to store whilst ensuring you have the required access. It could be that a combination of systems is used to store your goods, for example, mobile shelving or carousel could be used to store and organise smaller items, whilst larger items can be stored on mobile pallet racks or a pull-out unit.
If a last in first out (LIFO) or first in first (FIFO) out principle is required a pallet shuttle system would be the best solution.
As with all units, if you have the space available, there is always the option to build up with a mezzanine floor, giving you additional space for the storage for your products.
What products will be stored?
The million-dollar question to make sure you get the storage you need!
As mentioned above, the healthcare industry has many different types of items that need storing – some with very special storage conditions including hazardous goods. Again, a combination of warehouse storage solutions would be the answer, including pallet racking and shelving which will meet most of your storage requirements. Any company you on-board for your storage solutions will work with you to ascertain exactly what you need and create a plan for the next steps – it could be that a semi-automated or fully automated warehouse is the answer.
Temperature requirements
As we have all learnt recently – some medicines/vaccines require storage in very low temperatures, preserving the quality of the product. The majority of the time, the need is mainly for chilled/cold storage with temperatures from 0°C up and most standard storage solutions would all be suitable options in this instance, the issues arise when storage of these products need to be in much lower temperatures – the COVID vaccine alone needs to be stored between 60-80°C below, causing serious logistical issues.
To access larger stored items in controlled temperatures mobile pallet racking is a great solution as it can operate effectively in temperatures as low as -30°C and increases warehouse storage capacity by up to 80%.
With the LIFO/FIFO principle the pallet shuttle system that, again, functions in temperatures up to -30°C and provides a high-density storage solution while reducing operating costs – a pallet shuttle system is one of the most efficient bulk storage solutions on the market.
Many industries have complicated warehouse storage needs but the healthcare industry needs a little more consideration and is, in fact, highly demanding of its storage requirements.
We have plenty of experience installing storage solutions in healthcare warehouses and environments – should you have any questions our expert team are on hand to assist.