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Design for Safety | Storage areas
Design considerations for storage areas
Worksite Redesign Technical
Advisory Project
- Storage space requirements and design must be based on a comprehensive
need and use assessment.
- Inventory supplies and equipment requirements prior to resident placement.
Adequate space must be provided in a plan which will safely store and give
easy access to these items. The inventory must include:
- Resident's personal items
- Equipment that is owned or shared
- Therapy supplies
- Auxiliary possessions such as bolsters, incontinence materials, and
hobby items
- Storage location must support good body positioning and movement, and should
not block walks or exits.
- Heavy boxes and storage items need to be stored between knee and chest
height for safe lifting. Locate lighter items at shoulder level and floor
level. Avoid any storage over shoulder height, as the person is unable to
view the item and proper lifting of the item would require a ladder or lift.
Once an employee is off the floor, there is a greater opportunity for an
accident. (See illustrations, page 93.)
- Household operational requirement such as food storage, both short- and
long-term, requires adjustable-height shelving, pantry and freezer space.
Paper products, incontinence pads, and other similar disposable items require
consideration for both storage and disposal. Wheeled carts and containers
which reduce lifting and carrying by staff are desirable.
- Cleaning products and supplies need locked storage. Keep heavy objects
low and design to discourage over-extension and awkward movement. Mops and
brooms are best kept in a closet designed for their storage.
- Medication storage requires special planning. Locked drawers and cupboards
should be situated away from other functions, such as food preparation, laundry,
and bathing. Provision for both the short- and long-term storage of records
is essential. Files end up overhead because no other place is available.\
- The storage of residents' personal belongings will become a hazard if space
is not adequate. Shelving must always be secured and not permitted to become
overloaded or dangerously unbalanced. Shelf, closet, and drawer space should
be designed to encourage organization, and avoid stacking and creeping into
traffic and floor spaces. Wheelchair storage requires planning. Safe recharging
stations for electric chairs must also be designed for.
- Provide for an assessment of:
- Space consideration prior to resident placement
- Minimum of 80 square feet of storage for each home. Where homes are
known to require additional space, a plan must be developed to accommodate
these requirements
- Storage areas with built-in cabinets and adjustable shelves support
good body mechanics in lifting stored materials
Tall cabinet or closet space for cleaning
supplies should be considered.
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McNair |
- Storage in hallway reduces open floors and poses tripping
hazards
- Projecting shelves are a hazard
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Marigold |
- Space needs a storage plan
- Hangers, racks, organizers, and additional shelving need
to be incorporated in the plan
- Objects not stored properly migrate into the traffic area
and create tangle-foot hazards
- Keep storage area floor from becoming too cluttered
- Proper lifting of heavy buckets and bins must be addressed
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Sandy Drive |
- Large room permits storage of wheeled equipment around perimeter
- Care must be taken to maintain open walks and "working"
space
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McNair |
- Alcove designed for wheelchair storage at entry
- Overloading of the shelves creates toppling hazards
- Non-skid, walk-off mat helps to keep floors dry
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- Large-capacity shelf unit provides good flexible storage
- Direction of the lower pulls changed to horizontal line to
reduce hazards
- A plan considering storage by weight and frequency of use
is recommended
- Adequate storage eliminates physical and visual clutter
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Pioneer Pike
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- Lack of a plan for office space and storage results in inappropriate
laundry/storage room overuse
- Recordkeeping and office storage compete for space with laundry
functions
- Sanitation compromised when laundry functions are mixed with
other work
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River Road
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- Locked storage along entry hall
- Double door provides access to freezer
- Floor-to-ceiling shelving and sprinkler closet are on the
left side of the hall
- Abundant storage provided near the entry saves staff energy
- Door hardware may pose bruising hazards, but the 49"
hall width helps to prevent this
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Glory Lane
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- No provision has been made for the storage of mop bucket or
heavy cleaning supplies
- Buckets block the path and pose a hazard
- Locked storage for cleaning supplies needed
- High shelf is difficult and dangerous to access
- Store heavy items between knee and shoulder
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North A Street
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