No matter what your reasoning for storage containers may be, you need to be certain that your property is safe and every precaution is made in this regard.

As a result the vast majority of container structures employ a locking facility which keeps the contents safe from theft or vandalism.

However, it is important that you make certain precautions yourself in terms of any locks which you place on the containers.

The most important thing to remember is to get more than one set of keys cut for the locks. You cannot guarantee that one of the keys may be misplaced or lost at some point and therefore to avoid excess amounts of hassle, it is always comforting to know that there are other keys out there.

Perhaps the best idea is to have three keys cut, one which you will use as the master key, one which you place in a safe place at home, and one additional key which you give to a trustworthy friend or partner.

The last thing which you want is to only have one key and be in the position where you urgently need to access your property but cannot do this due to the key being misplaced or lost.

Last week, we brought you the story of a young child who was trapped inside a storage container which was acting as a toy store. Whilst checks should have been carried out on the store before it was locked, the case has brought to light several issues regarding the role of storage containers and children in general.

First of all, do not think that once a storage container has been installed, for whatever the reason, that it cannot be modified or altered to best suit your requirements. For example, windows can be placed within the container which will aid the security of the structure, especially where children are involved.

Obviously this is no substitution for you own vigilance, however you really need to be covering every base when it comes to young children.

Secondly, it is possible to install emergency exits within the structure, in the same manner that these are placed within traditional buildings. This would give the added piece of mind that should anyone become stuck within the structure, everything is in place for their safety and rescue.

Yet no matter how many precautionary measures you make within the structure itself, you must display a high amount of personal organisation in making sure in your own mind that these measures will never be used.

Safety measures should not be an excuse for you to dilute your own awareness of the situation and if you remember this then everyone will enjoy the facility which it offers in a safe environment.

Storage containers can play a fundamental role within local education facilities within your area. We have already seen how some schools have employed these structures as temporary classrooms meaning that children are not suffering in their education due to a lack of teaching space.

Many local government authorities are now placing much emphasis on extra curricular activities which build on the skills and the knowledge base which are formulated within the classroom.

However, the amount of free space within schools in general is limited at best and therefore there may not be adequate facilities for children to develop these skills as far as they could do.

For example, many initiatives further children’s artistic or scientific development, yet there is precious little room for them to create their masterpieces or conduct their experiments. This is one area which can be aided with the addition of a container structure.

From a sports side of things, we are all aware of the dangers of obesity and the levels of people who fall into this category at the moment. Much of this starts within childhood and this is why there is a large emphasis being place on sports at schools.

The addition of proper changing rooms or a small scale gym may be just the think to encourage more children to take their physical activities more seriously and lessen the risk of obesity in the future. Again, storage containers can be the cost effective method in which children’s overall education can be exemplified well beyond the norm.

We are often asked how much maintenance our storage containers require. The answer to this is really up to yourself and depends on your exact specifications of it.

Some people require additional security items to be implemeted on to the container, whilst others do not need this.

In terms of the actual working potential of the structure, then usually no maintenance is required. This is due to the fact that all of our containers are built to exceptionally high stanards, and with durability at the forefront of our minds.

Some customers however, require their container to be a certain colour, and this may be as a result of fitting in with other structures nearby, or as part of their storage process. Red containers may store different items than blue ones for example.

From an aesthetic point of view therefore, you may want to adapt the containers to your own requirements, and we can give you all the help and advice you need for this.

The most important area of maintenance however, is to regularly ensure that the doors are kept in pristine working order and that the locking rods and hinges are lubricated on a regular basis. This will make certain that the entrance points are kept well treated and will perform to the highest standards, irrespective of the amount of usage which they are subjected to.

In today’s society everyone is becoming more and more environmentally friendly and as part of this there is a growing trend in the amount of recycling which is being carried out on a yearly basis.

We are all encouraged to recycle as much as possible and to only use what we actually need to. For many people, this just means placing their refuse in different bins depending on the materials which they are comprised of. However, within the container industry it is rather more complex. There are many issues which influence this area of our industry and over the coming weeks we will explore many of them.

However, to set the ball rolling we would like to provide you with some advice when purchasing a shipping container or a storage container. Before you make any firm decision, it is important that you try to determine how long you will be requiring the structure for. If this is a relatively short period then you may be better hiring a container than buying one outright.  This way you are not left with an empty container when you have finished with it and it can then be put to more functional uses.

We have previously documented the vast amount of empty shipping containers which are infiltrating many UK ports. This is a sad state of affairs and is one which is being looked into by the authorities concerned. To a lesser extent this also occurs with storage containers around the county and this is something which collectively we need to address.

Please do talk to us about all your storage and shipping container requirements and we can advise you the optimum route to take.

When investing in second hand storage containers, then there are a few factors which you should bear in mind before making the purchase. This will ensure that you are making an informed and educated investment and will not be disappointed with it in the future.

First of all, it is pretty self explanatory that you need to know what the container has been used for in the past, as this will affect the condition of the structure itself. All containers should be structurally secure and safe from weathering factors which may erode the container over time.

It is also important that you view the container before making the purchase – make sure to ask how old the structure is and make a special effort to inspect the doors and the roof as these are particularly susceptible to weaknesses.

You also need to check the security of the container and any locks or cowls which may be fitted. Make sure that these are in good working order and you will not have to invest in any renovation to restore the structure to former glories.

Finally, and most importantly, discuss your requirements with one of our members of staff, who will be able to give you an educated, objective view as to what will serve your requirements best.

One of the fundamental areas which you need to consider when employing any storage container is the internal climate within it. Depending on what products you are storing, then the emphasis which you place on this will change. For example, if you are storing fresh vegetables then the internal climate will be of higher importance than if you were storing leaflets.

When considering the internal climate of the container, then it is important that you consider the external conditions which play a critical part in this.

There are a number of different factors, all of which have a bearing on the external climate conditions. These include if, and how the goods are to be transported, the time of year, and the immediate weather trends.  Due to the unpredictability of some of these factors, predictions of how the external climate will alter over a period of time can never be an exact science.

Following on from this, it is also not advisable to use previous experiences of product storage to generate exact guidelines for future projects. Every operation is fundamentally different in terms of climate control, however a general awareness of the issues involved is beneficial in considering transport risks.

A school located in the Australian suburb of Canterbury has hit the news this week, after it was revealed that children are to be taught in a renovated storage container for the foreseeable future.

Located within the south west of Canterbury, approximately 11km away from Sydney, Longbeach School have employed this innovative idea in a bid to address overcrowding issues within the institution. The move comes after their application for another purpose built classroom was rejected by the Ministry of Education and the school had to move quickly to resolve their very immediate problems.

For the fifteen months before the container was brought in, children were been taught within the school library, which although this was far from ideal, did represent an area where an element of teaching could take place. Since this move, parents have understandably voiced their concerns over the teaching facilities within the school, and have made their feelings known to the Ministry of Education to no avail.

However, the renovated storage container has been a blessing to all concerned within the school. It’s implementation and rejuvenation was completed in a very timely manner, and the children now have a designated area where they can be taught.

Although this cannot represent a permanent solution to the overcrowding problems which plague Longbeach School, both staff and parents agree that in terms of providing a safe and effective place for learning, then the container represents the ideal structure at this time.

Storage containers can be used for a wide variety of different functions. This can range from the normal storage of goods to portable accommodation, schools and even hospitals.

However, in this blog we shall explore some of the characteristics which govern self storage containers which are climate controlled. The primary function which these specific type of containers have is to prevent dew and mold from infiltrating the area and thus keeping it’s contents fresh.

It is a common misconception that controlling the temperature of the container is fundamentally more important that regulating the humidity levels. In fact it is the humidity which plays the dominant role in storing a range of different products.

It is usual that the humidstat will be set at a relative humidity which does not exceed fifty percent, whilst the most frequent range in temperature within the container will be between fifty and eighty degrees. Certain containers even have designated areas where products which require special attention, such as wines and liquors can be stored.

Refrigerated Containers operate in much the same manner, but restrict the temperature within the structures, to reflect the needs of the products. For example, produce which can easily deteriorate, such as vegetables and meat need to be stored in very low temperatures to ensure that they are kept fresh for as long as possible. This is exemplified when considering the fact that a good proportion of these types of storage containers will be used to accommodate these products for a fairly long time span.

Shipping containers give an abundant delivery options. Let’s consider the features of containers.

• These containers are not usually internally lined.
• Fork-lift pockets are generally available for help in moving the container.
• Floors are usually made up of either marine grade plywood sheets or longitudinal hardwood planks.

The containers come in two major varieties: storage use and shipping use only. Storage containers, which are second-hand, cannot be utilised for shipping. On other hand, shipping containers are as new, and totally comply with ISO and CSC regulations. Of course, they can also be used for storage purposes also, if required.

You can check about new as well as second-hand containers fore rent/hire/buy purpose. Containers are usually supplied either in the original colour or can be repainted to your specifications. The idea is to customise them. Several domestic customers also get their containers repainted for minimising the harmful environmental impact, if any, and blend into their surroundings to the best extent possible.

All marine freight containers are so designed that they sit on the four square castings perfectly and precisely - in each corner. It is highly recommended that containers are seated on hard standing ideally, where possible. Concrete bases are recommended to be installed at each corner location for soft ground usage.

Alternatively each end can be placed on an 8′ railway sleeper or similar sturdy support. It’s vital to ensure the container sits level opposite - corner to corner - to prevent the frame twisting, when positioning. This can make the doors difficult to open and shut.

Once you leave the job to us, you can be rest assured of quality and efficiency thanks to our delivering vehicles operators who are highly experienced and skilled at positioning containers precisely.