Modular Drawer Storage Cabinets—Ideal for Storage of Hospital Supplies

Corporate Jet Support captured 10 ft. of vertical space by stacking shallow depth HS modular drawer storage cabinets from Lista atop each other.

Lista International Corporation offers modular Drawer Storage Cabinets that have 50% more storage capacity than conventional shelving. When paired with stainless steel covers, these versatile solutions create a space-efficient workspace. Perfect for hospital operating rooms and sterile instrument processing departments, Lista's modular drawer storage cabinets protect supplies from dirt and other contaminants.

The cabinet drawers feature a 440 lb. load capacity each and are available in seven different full sidewall heights for maximum cubic storage capacity. With 100% full extension, the drawers' complete contents are easily accessible. Drawer handles are flush with the face of the cabinet housing, so there are no projecting parts to snag clothing. Lista's drawer dividers have an gled tops that accommodate labels and most bar codes, accurately identifying compartment contents. Each drawer can be subdivided with drawer accessories to create organized, customized com partments.

DRAWER STORAGE CABINETS VS. TRADITIONAL SHELVING: AN OPEN AND CLOSED CASE

Opening arguments. The time has come to make a decision about your storage equipment. There are many options, but one over-riding important decision that needs to made is whether to go with drawer storage cabinets or with traditional shelving. Certainly there are items that are well served by the old stand-by, industrial shelves. But, for most items, and under most circumstances, the decision should fall on the side of drawer storage cabinets.

A case for full cubic space. The fact is, drawer storage cabinets are much better at making full use of cubic space than shelves are, particularly when storing small-to-medium size items of irregular shape and size.

Drawer cabinets allow storage in rightheight drawers which can be filled to the top, using all available cubic space. This, in conjunction with drawers having fullextension capabilities, means that the entire 3D drawer space can be utilized — front-to-back, side-to-side and topto- bottom. Because of this, with small to medium items, one eye-level modular drawer cabinet can hold as much as three to four sections of shelving.

The upshot of the full use of cubic space with high-density modular drawer storage is a maximized use of overall available floor space. With three to four shelf units having about the same storage capacity as one cabinet, a switch to drawer cabinet storage can reduce needed square footage by as much as 100% to 400%.

Order in the drawers. Drawer interiors, with their easily customizable compartments, are ideally suited for storing small loose items like nuts, bolts, washers, spark plugs, electrical components and small instruments. These drawer compartments protect the items stored within them, can precisely match stored items by height, width and depth, are easily bar code labeled, and provide direct access and viewing.

On the other hand, the industry standard way of storing these smaller items on shelves is to use a shelving bin, plastic box, or even worse, an open or semi-open cardboard box. The plastic boxes and shelving bins are not inexpensive. In fact, 10 or 20 boxes can equal the cost of the shelving unit itself, doubling your storage equipment costs.

The boxes and bins are also impractical in terms of seeing and accessing the stored items. The standard industrial shelf is typically 87 in. high, with the top one or two shelves over a standing individual's head. Therefore, seeing what is stored in the upper shelves is impossible without a ladder. And accessing the items is at best difficult, and at worst, dangerous — especially if you're using the previously mentioned semi-opened cardboard boxes which can easily spill their contents from a precarious upper shelf perch.

There are also ergonomic advantages for employees working with modular drawer storage. Just as there is no reaching high for items on upper shelves, access to items stored near the floor is also much improved. When items are stored on the bottom shelf of a shelving unit, employees can find themselves on their hands and knees, awkwardly reaching for items and potentially straining their backs and shoulders. With full extension drawers, all items in all drawers are within easy reach.

In defense of inventory management. When you can easily see your inventory right in front of you, as is the case with modular drawer storage, taking inventory becomes an easier and more accurate task. Items are much more likely to get lost on shelves, which leads to wasted inventory and/or stock-outs. Within a highly organized modular drawer, each individual item has its own compartment and items are much less likely to get lost or mis-identified. Also, as items can be viewed from the front of the drawer to the farthest back corners, visual accounting is easy.

For added organization and easier inventory management, some manufacturers' drawers have built-in label holders, and each compartment can be labeled. Lista, offers a free download of a proprietary software labeling system that allows you to print SKUs, text, illustrations and barcodes.

Beyond the shadow of a doubt. When you weigh all the evidence, and judge the benefits of drawer storage cabinets versus shelving units, your decision is truly open and shut. Drawer storage cabinets are the more efficient and more productive option for storing small and medium sized items. Case closed.