by: David Arnold Livingston
Even before the coming of man, animals like the ants have been doing storage of food and other stuff to cope with the daily demands of life. Storage is a vital part of human life. In the Bible, the wisdom-filled Joseph used storage to escape the problems of famine which happened for seven years. During the seven years of fullness and abundance, Joseph suggested to the Pharaoh to put up stock houses for food to carry on with the famine.
Storage is also important in our day to day living. Our refrigerators have stocks of food to be used for our everyday survival. Storage is of major concerns for big companies and businesses involved with different products ranging from the items that will fill up man’s basic needs to the complex wants that man desires and longs for.
Storage is done not only by placing in one corner the items or products to be used later on. There are several factors to be taken to ensure that the stored stuff will be in safe condition so people that will make use of it. In the case of food storage, the place or the equipment to be used for storage must be free from any toxins caused by different factors in the environment ranging from the tiny bacteria and other microorganisms to big rats, cockroaches and other insects. Improper food storage can lead to food poisoning and death.
There are various ways of food storage which can include canning, freezing and drying. Drying is used to remove the moisture from the food so as to prevent the growth of micro-organisms. Freezing is the commonly used method of food storage and preservation to slow down spoilage through chemical reaction done by transforming water into ice or liquid into solid. Canning is a form of storage which includes the use of jars and other containers in which food is heated first to kill or destroy the microorganisms that can mess up with the food.
Storage areas for other commodities are also a major concern of businessmen thus they have storage plans to ensure the safety of their products. The fabricators of various products must have a secured dry storage area that can sufficiently be used to stock all the items. The location and size, together with other vital factors must be carefully considered to guarantee the efficiency of storage. The advancements in technology is a great help in the efficiency of storage since the different factors involved which may include the temperature and lighting system can be easily adjusted to suit the condition of the items and the area.
Stacking of different products is made easier by using the new racking systems. Aside from organized location, it can also save spaces for other items or products. The Flow-through and First In - First Out systems are the commonly used racking types for storage. The Flow-through system works by positioning the older ones in a location that will allow it to be used first. A First In - First Out storage system is also a variation of a flow-through though it uses gravity rollers adjusted at an angle that will provide easier facility by simply moving the product forward. The brakes on the rollers control the movements of the items. After which the products are placed systematically for the next process.