Moving Into a New Business Unit? How to Plan Your Storage From Day One
An empty business unit is easier to plan around than one already filled with stock, tools and equipment. With new employment units being developed in Rotherham, businesses preparing to occupy a workshop, trade unit or small warehouse have decisions to make well before opening day.
Storage planning should begin with the space available, the goods being handled and the routes employees will use throughout the day. Measuring the premises, checking loading requirements and planning where equipment will go can prevent expensive changes once deliveries begin arriving.
Step 1. Measure the Space and Plan Where Storage Will Go
Start with the internal floor dimensions, usable ceiling height and the position of loading doors, columns and fixed equipment. A landlord’s floor plan is useful, but measurements should be checked on site before ordering shelving.
Pay attention to corners, pipework, electrical fittings and overhead services. A shelving run might fit along a wall but still obstruct access to a loading door or leave insufficient room for a stock trolley.
Check the floor loading capacity if the business will store heavy components, machinery or palletised goods. The landlord or structural documentation should establish what the floor can support.
Once the measurements are recorded, businesses can check the shelving range at www.bigdug.co.uk for bay widths, depths and load capacities that suit their available space. For larger commercial fit-outs, the company also offers free site surveys and 2D and 3D CAD design support to help plan storage around access routes and working areas.
For a smaller unit, marking the proposed shelving positions on the floor can reveal access problems before anything is installed.
Step 2. Record What Needs Storing and How It Will Be Handled
For businesses considering metal racking shelves, the starting point is the weight and size of their stock, followed by how frequently employees need access to it.
A workshop storing boxed electrical components has different requirements from a business handling heavy machinery parts. Smaller items might be picked individually, while bulky deliveries may require a pallet truck or forklift.
Group stock according to its weight, size and handling method. Record the heaviest regular loads rather than estimating capacity from an average box.
Manufacturers express shelf capacities using UDL, meaning Uniformly Distributed Load. A shelf with a 400kg UDL rating supports that weight when spread evenly across its surface under the manufacturer’s stated conditions. The same rating does not apply to a single heavy component placed in the centre.
The total capacity of the assembled bay also matters. A unit with four shelves rated at 400kg UDL per shelf must still be loaded within its overall bay limit.
The stock weights, dimensions and handling methods will help establish whether standard shelving is sufficient or industrial racking is needed.
Step 3. Select the Right Shelving or Racking
For smaller goods handled manually, medium-duty steel shelving will often provide enough capacity. Boltless systems are useful when stock sizes change and shelf levels need adjusting.
BiGDUG’s BiG200 range includes configurations supporting up to 200kg UDL per shelf. For heavier goods, BiG400 racking offers selected configurations rated up to 400kg UDL per shelf, while certain BiG800 systems support up to 800kg UDL per shelf. Actual capacities depend on the selected dimensions and the overall bay limit. Shropshire Council recommends displaying maximum working loads on racking installations so employees can check the limits before loading them.
Boltless shelving uses a keyhole-tapping design, with beams fitted into shaped slots in the uprights and secured using a rubber mallet. Some standard BiGDUG bays can be assembled in under 15 minutes, while larger configurations take longer. Shelf levels can also be repositioned within the manufacturer’s permitted arrangement as stock requirements change.
Businesses expecting to store more stock over time can plan a longer run using compatible Starter bays and Extension bays joined with bay-linking clips. Leaving enough wall space for those additions avoids having to relocate existing units later.
Mezzanine floors, pallet racking and multi-tier installations require professional assessment and installation. They should be planned around structural conditions, equipment movements and the intended loads.
Step 4. Arrange Storage Around How Employees Work
The position of each stock category should reflect how employees receive, handle and retrieve goods.
Frequently picked goods are usually better positioned near packing benches or despatch areas, provided this does not interfere with deliveries or vehicle movements. Less frequently handled stock can occupy other sections of the unit.
Aisle widths need to reflect the equipment being used. Employees carrying cartons require different clearances from those operating pallet trucks or forklifts. The Health and Safety Executive’s HSG76 covers warehouse layout, pedestrian routes and the separation of people from moving vehicles.
Keep loading areas and fire exits clear, even when stock levels increase. South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service advises businesses to maintain unobstructed escape routes and suitable emergency exits, so space reserved for incoming goods should not become permanent overflow storage.
Step 5. Check Stability and Safe Loading Before Use
Check the floor condition and confirm that the chosen shelving or racking is suitable for the intended loads.
Shelving bays with a height-to-depth ratio greater than 4:1 must be secured to a suitable wall or floor, following the specified safety requirements. The manufacturer’s instructions should determine which fixings to use, as some systems require additional measures for stability.
Weight should be distributed evenly across shelves and kept within the stated UDL and overall bay capacities. Heavier goods are generally better stored at lower levels, where employees can handle them without reaching overhead.
Storage equipment should be checked for damaged uprights, displaced beams or other signs of deterioration. The Health and Safety Executive recommends regular inspections based on the risks associated with the equipment and its working conditions. Where forklifts operate, the layout may also need protection against vehicle impacts.
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, known as PUWER, place duties on employers to provide suitable work equipment, maintain it safely and arrange appropriate inspections.
Businesses installing industrial racking should obtain the relevant loading information and check whether the selected system is designed in accordance with applicable SEMA Codes of Practice. Where hazardous substances will be stored, separate fire safety and storage requirements must also be assessed.
Employees should know the load limits and how to report damaged equipment from their first day of using the system.
Step 6. Confirm Delivery and Installation Dates
Check the availability of storage equipment against the planned move-in date. Ordering shelving without checking the delivery estimate can leave stock arriving before there is anywhere suitable to put it.
BiGDUG lists standard delivery at approximately 9 to 10 working days for in-stock items, although the estimated time varies by product. Paid Next-Day Delivery is available on eligible orders placed before 3pm on a working day, subject to stock availability and mainland UK delivery restrictions, including exclusions for the Highlands, Islands and Northern Ireland.
Larger commercial installations require a separate timetable for surveys, design approval and professional fitting. Confirm delivery vehicle access, unloading arrangements and whether the unit will be ready when installation begins.
Check whether quoted prices include or exclude VAT, and account for any additional fixings, accessories or installation charges.
Once the equipment is assembled, inspect the completed layout before moving stock into position. Check that bays are stable, loading limits are understood and employees have sufficient room to handle goods safely.
A storage layout planned around daily operations gives a business one less problem to deal with during a move. With the equipment installed and access routes clear, employees can put incoming stock where it belongs rather than spending their opening days reorganising the unit.
