Dalvie Systems - Company Blog

Save Your Soles With Anti-Fatigue Matting This Winter

2015-10-20T11:00:00.000+01:00

With the weather dropping colder, it's more important than ever that your staff are made as comfortable as possible in the workplace.

Anti-fatigue matting is perfect for helping to reduce fatigue in those who stand all day while working in the warehouse. It also helps prevent the cold from cement floors creeping up into workers' legs.

Most importantly, the mats help to decrease foot and lower limb disorders for workers who stand in one position for long periods.

Want to know more? Call 0845 017 8866 or email info@dalviesystems.co.uk.

Shop our anti-fatigue matting (from £30) here.

Labels: The Cost Effective Way To Boost Picking Time

2015-10-06T11:00:00.000+01:00

The management of any warehouse needs an effective labelling and identification system. Why? Because stock needs to be identified and put in its rightful place in order to maximise order picking and minimise costly errors.

Order pickers working in an environment where an ineffective system operates might end up wasting a large proportion of their time trying to pick goods that are not in their place.

This also leads to an increase in picking errors. These errors hurt every aspect of the business as not only does it lead to having to re-process the order and re-despatch taking up lots of precious time, it could also lower customer retention.

At Dalvie Systems, we provide all kinds of location labels for racking, shelving, bins and anything that needs a location. The labels can be printed with alpha numeric codes, check digits, barcodes and colour level identification.

Want to know more? Call us now on 01902 783784 or email info@dalviesystems.co.uk. Alternatively, buy warehouse labels online here.

SPEED STORE - A Space Saving Sensation

2015-06-23T21:48:00.000+01:00

Speed Store is the ultimate space saving solution where an array of vertical, shelving columns are bolted onto pallet racking.

Each column supports a load of 100kg which allows for safe, easy and ergonomic storage for all manner of products.

Want to know more? Email info@dalviesystems.co.uk or call the office on 0845 017 8866.

This Is Why You Should Invest In A Mezzanine Floor

2015-05-25T21:37:00.001+01:00

Not enough space in your warehouse? Looking to relocate as a result?

Luckily for you, there's another way of increasing the space in your workplace without having to up sticks and move - yep, that's right, by building a mezzanine floor.

Why choose a mezzanine floor over relocation?

Relocating can prove costly in both time and money.

Mezzanine floors can be designed, supplied and installed quickly.

Mezzanine floors are far cheaper and can double, triple and even quadruple space depending upon how many tiers you choose.

Our service includes:

Building Regulation application

Detailed site survey by qualified project engineers

Detailed structural drawings and calculations provided

Delivery and installation schedules to suit your workload

Mezzanine floor is tailor-made to suit your requirements

Rapid and efficient installation by our qualified teams

Want to know more?

Call our office on 0845 017 8866 to request a free site visit

or email us: info@dalviesystems.co.uk

Buy Barriers, Stay Safe, Save Money

2015-03-23T09:34:00.000+00:00

Any warehouse manager knows the trials and tribulations of keeping your pallet racking in tact - especially when fork lifts and other warehouse vehicles are in operation around the workplace. But the fact is, accidents happen and sometimes this can be detrimental to not just your pallet racking, but to the health and safety of others too.

To prevent this from happening - and to save a lot of money in the long run - it's worth investing in protective barriers and column guards to stop any major damage from occurring. After all, it's easy to replace a barrier but it's not so easy (or wallet-friendly) to replace a whole bay of racking. Or deal with a serious accident involving a member of your team.

For more information about our barriers and column guards, drop us a line or call 0845 017 8866.

A reminder of what we offer...

2015-03-20T10:50:00.003+00:00

Our online shop is currently down for maintenance, however you can request a FREE catalogue by dropping us an email with your name and address.

Time For A Spring Clean?

2015-02-22T11:31:00.000+00:00

Whether you work in an office, warehouse or even a barn; chances are, at some point, you'll need shelving to store your goods on.

With March fast approaching, it might be time to consider a spring clean. And what better way to organise your goods than with high quality and durable shelving?

Starting from just £39 (yes, really!) our shelving range is about as varied as can be - with everything from chrome shelving for storing food on, to heavy duty warehouse shelving that can withstand a load of up to 800kgs.

Want to know more? Call us on 0845 017 8866 for a friendly chat about your requirements or, failing that, check out a selection from our shelving range on the Dalvie Systems online shop...

SHOP SHELVING

Request Your Free Workplace Products Catalogue Now!

2015-02-22T10:29:00.002+00:00

Our brand new workplace products catalogue for 2015-16 is now available for your perusal.

To request a free copy, drop us an email at info@dalviesystems.co.uk with '2015 catalogue request' as the subject followed by your name, company and address.

We look forward to hearing from you :)

5 Summer Office Colour Schemes You'll Love...

2015-02-14T16:00:00.000+00:00

Summer's fast approaching meaning it might be time to give your office an aesthetic overhaul. With this in mind, here are five carefully-selected colour schemes to help give your workspace that much needed boost...

#1 Blue Haze

#2 Raspberry Choc

#3 Woodland Feel

#4 Life's A Beach

#5 Monochrome

The Benefits Of Anti-Fatigue Matting

2015-02-08T21:37:00.002+00:00

If you stand all day while working in a cold warehouse, then it might be time to consider anti-fatigue matting.

Not only does the matting help keep the cold from spreading up through your feet and legs (which we're sure you can agree, is a horrible feeling) but it also helps to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders associated with prolonged standing.

For just £27, we'd say that's money well spent.

Buy anti-fatigue matting here.

Safety first!

2014-09-01T14:18:00.000+01:00

"With great power, comes great responsibility."

It goes without saying that running your own business, or being in a position of authority within a large and well-known company means that you are responsible for the safety and well-being of your employees.

This means that you are responsible for implementing health and safety regulations within the workplace to ensure that employees do not come to any harm.

Effective Leadership = Safer Workplace

Over the years, many high-profile safety cases have occurred due to failures in leadership. This can not only be dangerous for staff, but it can also be severely damaging to your company's reputation - and in some cases, may even result in prosecution of the person held responsible.

Health and safety law places duties on organisations and employers, and directors can be personally liable when these duties are breached: members of the board have both a collective and individual responsibility for health and safety – it's very important, and can save lives.

Addressing health and safety should not be seen as a regulatory burden and a 'chore' as it offers significant opportunities.

Benefits of implementing health and safety include:

Reduced costs and reduced risks – employee absence and turnover rates are lower, accidents are fewer, the threat of legal action is lessened;
Improved standing among suppliers and partners;
A better reputation for corporate responsibility among investors, customers and communities;
Increased productivity – employees are healthier, happier and better motivated (you can't argue with that!).

Poor health and safety at work can result in a number of human and financial costs. These include:

Millions of working days lost due to work-related illness and injury.
Fatalities caused by occupational diseases. (Did you know a worker is fatally injured almost every working day?)
Organisations incurring further costs through uninsured losses and loss of reputation.

How Can You Safe-Guard Against Incidents?

As a Director (or a board member), there are a number of things you can do in order to reduce accidents in the workplace. These include:

Ensuring that health and safety arrangements are adequately resourced;
Obtaining competent health and safety advice;
Carrying out risk assessments;
Investing in safety equipment;
Involving employees in decisions that affect their health and safety;
Considering the health and safety implications of introducing new processes; new working practices or new personnel; dedicating adequate resources to the task; and seeking advice where necessary.
Ensuring that boardroom decisions are made in the context of the organisation's health and safety policy. It is important to consider and include for health and safety when implementing change.

How Do Dalvie Systems Safe-Guard Against Incidents?

Being a business that deals primarily with installation work, we know how important it is to keep on top of health and safety. So, we thought we'd share how we deal with health and safety, to give you an idea about how you can adopt similar practices in your workplace:

When we go to site (prior to an installation), we carry out risk assessments to ensure that: a) the site is safe to work on for our installation team, and b) that the installation team will be adopting a safe working practice. For example, if they are going to be working at height they will need to have harnesses. Or if they are going to be transporting heavy materials we will need to provide pallet trucks or fork lifts for them to use.
Shaun Jones, our Contract Control Manager, will issue risk and method statements to our installation team and our client(s) to ensure that everybody is in the know about our safe working practice for that particular job.
In nearly all cases, safety equipment including hard hats, gloves, protective glasses and steel toe cap boots are worn by our teams to ensure that they are protected from any potential warehouse hazards.
In some cases, our clients have induction sessions prior to us working on site to ensure that our installation team are fully aware of their health and safety practices, and how their site operates (signing in and out, fire evacuation procedures, highlighting warehouse vehicle and pedestrian zones etc).
In the unlikely event of a safety breach, we have practices and the relevant paperwork in place to deal with this.
Once a job has been completed, we ensure that our installation team is signed off by the client. This is mainly to ensure customer satisfaction, but it is also to ensure that the client is 100% happy with the installation from a safety point-of-view.
As part of our ISO9001 safety accreditation, after a job has finished we send an installation questionnaire to our customers in order to obtain feedback about the work we've completed. Feedback is useful to help us implement change in terms of our general working practices, as well as our safety practices.

Feeling inspired?

2014-08-27T13:18:00.003+01:00

This week we've been sharing our favourite

office interiors* from around the globe.

From colourful accents to industrial influences,

these are the office interior trends to try

right now.

Are you inspired?

Come and pin with us...

Looking for assistance with your office refurbishment?

We can help...

*All images courtesy of Pinterest

Who do you think will win the World Cup?

2014-07-08T11:45:00.002+01:00

Are you feeling as psychic as Paul the octopus? Or perhaps you're wearing your lucky pants today? Either way, you'll want to know about our latest competition...

How do you fancy winning yourself a £10 voucher to spend on our online store?
All you have to do to enter is tell us...
Who do you think will win the World Cup?

Simply Like our Facebook page, comment on our wall with your answer and if your team win, you'll receive a £10 voucher from us!

*Competition ends midnight on 11th July, no entries will be accepted after then*

Post by Dalvie Systems Ltd.

Lockers from £34? Yes please.

2014-06-17T12:07:00.000+01:00

Lockers from £34.

Need we say more?

Shop our fabulous range of lockers now!

Feel Good Friday: We've Won An Award!!

2014-05-23T09:30:00.000+01:00

And here's the certificate to prove it...

Following on from our collaboration with local charity, the Telford Crisis Network (find out all about it here), we were nominated for a SCOOT Headline Award!

When asked about the award, the Director of Dalvie Systems, Tom McKelvie said: "We're really pleased to see that our commitment to the community has been recognised within the business sector."

"We endeavour to give back to the local community: firstly, by sponsoring local sports teams - we are a sponsor of the Market Harborough under 11s rugby team - and secondly by volunteering and giving back to the charities that are closest to our hearts."

"Thank you to all of the businesses who support Dalvie Systems and opt to buy our workplace products as well as our project management and refurbishment services. It goes without saying that you are the reason that we are able to give back to the community!"

All About Pallets

2014-05-20T11:33:00.000+01:00

Everything you need to know about those wonderful, wooden platforms...

When purchasing pallet racking, it is important to have an understanding of the products which you are looking to store and the vessels which they are stored in (or on, in the case of pallets) - for example: boxes, crates, pallets, etc. Pallet racking is suitable for storing pallets and crates of varying shapes and sizes, as well as carpet rolls, tyres and special products. This blog post will help you understand the variety of pallets available within industry, and the best ways to store them.

Q) What is a pallet?

A pallet is a flat transport structure that supports goods in a stable fashion whilst being lifted by a forklift, pallet truck or other jacking device. A pallet is the structural foundation of a unit load which allows handling and storage efficiencies. There are various types of pallet, these include:

1) Euro Pallets (800mm x 1200mm)

These pallets have three supported slats which run the same way along the bottom of the pallet (see image below). When placing Euro Pallets on pallet racking, depending on which way they are loaded onto the racking, it can be difficult to ensure that they remain securely placed on top of the front and back beams. This can result in a health and safety risk.

If your company uses Euro Pallets, it might be worth investing in specialist racking accessories to ensure safe loading. Pallet support bars are ideal for placing along your beams to add a second section of support to your pallets. This means that when your fork lift operator is unloading a pallet onto the racking level, it will have double the support coming across the front and back of the pallet, as well as running along the centre.

2) Industrial Pallets (1000mm x 1200mm)

Industrial pallets are similar to Euro Pallets as, again, there are three supported slats which run the same way along the bottom of the pallet. These pallets tend to be bigger and therefore can support heavier loads, meaning the risk of them causing damage if they fall through the racking is increased. Again, we would suggest utilising pallet support bars.

3) Four-Way Entry Pallets (1000mm x 1200mm)

Probably the most popular (and not to mention most safe to store) is the four-way entry pallet. This is a non reversible, full perimeter based pallet which is supported both lengthways and width ways - thus reducing the need for pallet support bars. With this pallet type, you do not require any additional racking accessories. Hooray!

4) Post Pallets (Various Sizes)

Post pallets are difficult to store on standard racking (consisting solely of uprights and beams) as the forklift driver would be required to load the post pallet and ensure that all four corner posts are sat on a beam - not ideal, and certainly not easy to achieve! In this instance, post pallet channels are used which enable the posts to slide into the channels which run across the racking beams.

Want to know more about the best pallet racking to store your pallets on? Or perhaps you need help with designing a bespoke requirement for your warehouse? Call our office on 0845 017 8866 or drop us an email and we will help!

Product of the week - Stainless steel cupboards & chests

2014-05-01T12:12:00.001+01:00

Ideal for food, pharmaceutical and medical environments - especially where damp is a factor.
Cupboards feature 'no snag' handles with 2-point locking and adjustable stainless steel shelves.
Floor chests have a riveted structure with an angled lid. They're fitted with a hasp and staple lock (padlock not supplied).
Corrosion resistant
UK manufactured
FREE DELIVERY!

Shop Stainless Steel Cupboards // Shop Stainless Steel Chests

For more information please call us on 0845 017 8866 or email info@dalviesystems.co.uk

8 Ways To Spring Clean Your Warehouse

2014-04-25T08:39:00.001+01:00

Organising your warehouse effectively can help speed up processes whilst increasing the safety of your employees (after all, less clutter = fewer safety hazards).

Here are 8 simple ways to spring clean your warehouse...

1) Invest in shelving or racking to tidy away pallets, boxes and other products.

SHELVING PRODUCTS // RACKING PRODUCTS

2) Utilise labelling and aisle markers to help staff find what they're looking for in your warehouse.

This enables a speedier picking process.

SHOP LABELLING PRODUCTS

3) Small parts storage in the form of plastic containers can be really useful for tidying

away nuts and bolts, screws and nails, as well as other small parts.

SHOP SMALL PARTS STORAGE

4) Lockers provide a safe, effective and secure solution for storing personal items.

There are a range of locking mechanisms available and a selection of accessories to choose from.

SHOP LOCKERS & CLOAKROOM PRODUCTS

5) If your business involves the supply or storage of hazardous or flammable chemicals then

our hazardous storage range is worth checking out. Hazardous and toxic cabinets will keep

harmful chemicals stored safely and securely to reduce any accidents in the workplace.

SHOP HAZARDOUS CABINETS

6) Mobile shelving is ideal for areas where space is tight. One aisle can service a number of

racks which can create 40% more storage capacity than a normal shelving solution.

Read about the document storage we provided to PHS Records Management here.

7) Noticeboards provide an effective, attractive and useful solution for sharing

important announcements and safety information with your employees.

VIEW NOTICEBOARDS

8) Finally, keeping warehouse waste organised (and helping the environment along the way)

shouldn't break the bank. These recycling bins are very affordable at just £16 each.

VIEW RECYCLING BINS

The Great Dalvie Easter Egg Hunt

2014-04-14T15:42:00.003+01:00

To help you wind down ready for your Easter break (and to add some fun to your day!), we've launched an Easter egg hunt over at www.dalviestore.co.uk.

Simply track down the Easter egg (clue: it's hidden in a product image), email us the link to the product page that it's on and we will send you a £10 voucher to spend with our catalogue or online store, as well as a bag of mini eggs. What a treat!

Hurry, the hunt will end on Wednesday 16th April at noon...

EMBARK ON THE GREAT EGG HUNT NOW

Terms and Conditions

1) Egg hunt ends on Wednesday (16/04/14) at noon.

2) If you email us with the correct answer, we will be in touch within 24 hours to confirm the best address to send your mini eggs to.

3) The £10 voucher will be supplied in the form of a code which can be used either online or via the phone for catalogue orders.

4) If you have any more questions about the Great Easter Egg Hunt then please get in touch!

Office Refurbishments: Blinds

2014-03-26T11:29:00.001+00:00

As well as office furniture, partitioning, meeting room furniture and office storage (to name but a few); we also offer a selection of attractive yet affordable commercial blinds.

With our office refurbishment services, not only do we offer an interior design package comprising space planning, redecoration, electric works and office furniture installation, but we can also organise for blinds to be purchased and fitted too. Not bad, huh?

We can also provide remote control and standard fitting blinds for glass partition walls. The ideal solution for making partitioned office areas that little bit more private...

Looking for a full-scale office refurbishment?
Or perhaps you require some blinds for that window opposite your desk?
Let us know :)

New Beginnings...

2014-03-19T13:29:00.002+00:00

We're pleased to reveal that www.dalviesystems.co.uk has undergone a makeover!

And quite a drastic one at that.

After the successful creation of our online shop, Dalvie Store, we appointed Lee Stewart from Yellow Marshmallow web design to redesign our main, project management website.

The new site is a far cry from the older version with a 'meet the team' section (because you want to know who you're dealing with when you phone us up!), a plethora of case studies and testimonials, as well as links to our online shop. The site is also far more visually appealing with an animated logo in the centre of page (yes, we've spent a considerable amount of time hovering our mouse over it) and a high resolution image carousel displaying both warehouse refurbishment projects and office furniture products.

And the main feature? It fits to any screen size. Whether you're on your mobile, tablet or laptop you'll be able to see our new website in all it's glory!

So, now you've read all about it, why not go and see for yourself?

Visit our brand new website here.

website: www.dalviesystems.co.uk // telephone: 0845 017 8866 // email: info@dalviesystems.co.uk

It's Finally Here!!

2014-02-06T14:32:00.000+00:00

We're excited to share our latest online venture with you - the brand new all singing, all dancing DALVIE STORE. Featuring hundreds of products for the workplace including racking, shelving, cupboards, lockers, office furniture, sack trucks, hazardous storage, trolleys and much more - there's a lot to get excited about. Think of it as your go-to place for kitting out your office or warehouse!

Take a peek...

Tweet us @dalviesystems and let us know what you think!

Website: www.dalviesystems.co.uk | Call: 0845 017 8866 | Email: info@dalviesystems.co.uk

Another Year Over

2013-12-20T11:25:00.001+00:00

2013 is drawing to a close, and so it only seems right to reflect on this year and discuss what 2014 holds for us as a business. This year we have continued to go beyond our usual means to deliver bespoke project management services to our loyal customers. This has been something which has landed us some very exciting projects for 2014 both in the West Midlands and also on a national scale. We've also been beavering away at our very own online shop which will launch in January 2014 - it's something we're extremely excited about and we hope that you'll like it!

The online shop, which features thousands of workplace products, will allow customers from all over the UK - both consumers and businesses - to buy our products from the comfort of their chairs with the swift click of a button. A lot of hard work has gone into ensuring that this online store is not only competitive but also filled with high quality products - something that we're extremely confident of.

2014 will not only see the launch of a new e-commerce site, but there will also be a strong focus on Dalvie's printed branding which will be reiterated in some new corporate literature based on our office and industrial refurbishment / project management services, as well as a new workplace products catalogue. We will also be relaunching our dalviesystems.co.uk website with plenty of new customer testimonials and case studies, so you can really get a feel for what our business is all about...

So there we have it, our year in a nutshell. We're very much looking forward to what 2014 holds for us and we hope that you can share in our excitement. For now, we'd like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Thank you for all of your support throughout the past 13 years and we look forward to working with you for many more years to come.

All the best,

The Dalvie Systems Team x

Dalvie Donates

2013-11-12T13:30:00.000+00:00

Last night, Dalvie's Director (Tom Mckelvie) and Marketing Assistant (Tasha Hinde) took a trip down to Telford Foodbank's headquarters in Madeley for a rather hands on experience!

The Dalvie team, who have recently sent a donation of three bays of heavy duty garment hanging units to the Foodbank, offered to help assemble the bays that they had provided. With over twenty years experience in the storage and racking industry, Tom felt he was the man for the job as he grabbed a mallet and got stuck in whilst Jake - the Telford Crisis Network Coordinator - was on hand to hold the racking still! Meanwhile Tasha made herself useful by passing poles, beams and chipboard decks over and of course, photographing the whole affair...

A B O U T T H E F O O D B A N K

Telford Foodbank (also known as the Telford Crisis Network) is a Telford-based charity offering support to members of the public in crisis. This support can come in all manner of ways but mainly they offer food, clothing and advice to those who need it. Recently they've received a number of clothing donations which have, up until now, been stored in bin bags or plastic boxes. This has been a useful storage system for the time being, however it does not make for an easy job of finding clothing (particularly in the correct size) when a person in crisis shows up.

T H E H A R D P A R T

It took just shy of an hour (15 minutes of which was spent unwrapping the packaging!) however after a lot of hard work and labour from Tom and Jake, the charity now have a nice long run of garment hanging racking which can be used to hang up clothing for men, women and children - and all in size order too. A much easier and far more dignified way of going about things!

When asked why they chose to donate garment railing to Telford Foodbank, Tasha (Marketing Assistant at Dalvie Systems) said:

"I've been working alongside and donating clothes to the charity for a while now which led me to understand their needs for a more appropriate clothing storage solution. After having a chat with the Director, Tom, we came to the conclusion that it would be good to offer the Foodbank some heavy duty garment railing as a more dignified browsing solution for people coming in to collect clothing."

"We decided to donate a more durable and heavy duty solution because we understand that some people in crisis are in fact sleeping rough and therefore there is a great need for winter clothing to be supplied to them. With winter clothing (coats, jumpers etc) being quite heavy, it seemed a good idea to invest in some sturdy rails and racking frames which will hopefully last for years to come!"

T H A N K S D A L V I E !

"Thank you so much for this gift that brings some dignity to the whole process of helping people in crisis who have nothing and call upon our clothes bank when times are hard. Thanks for coming over to put it all up too! You can tell from the photo (below) who it was doing the hard graft. Thanks Tom and thank you Dalvie Systems!"

Jake Bennett | Telford Crisis Network Coordinator

If you'd like to make a food or clothing donation to the Foodbank on behalf of your company, or even personally, then please do drop them an email! At the moment they're desperately trying to get hold of some clothing hangers so if you're a clothing company with a surplus of coat hangers going spare then they'd really love to hear from you! Additionally, the room where the garment hanging is stored is in need of re-decoration / flooring... If you think you could help with this then (again) please get in touch!

Funds of £77m pledged to boost cycling in the UK!

2013-09-25T11:31:00.000+01:00

Recently we've been discussing the £77m fund which has been pledged by David Cameron in order to boost cycling in major cities across the UK. Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Newcastle, Bristol, Cambridge, Oxford and Norwich will all receive shares of the fund in order to improve cycling facilities and in turn, boost the number of people using bicycles as a primary mode of transport on a daily basis.

Following the country's success in the Olympics, the Paralympics and the Tour de France; British cycling is riding high in the popularity stakes and now the Government want to see cycling soar. With rising numbers in obesity amongst children, alongside increasing traffic congestion in major cities, investing money into the cycling scene seems like a sound proposal.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “We have seen a significant growth in the number of cyclists in London over the last few years. But cycling shouldn’t be confined to the capital. We are absolutely committed to boosting cycling in cities and the countryside across the whole of England. I want to help open up cycling to more people.”

What do you think of the Government's plans to improve cycling facilities and encourage cycling across the UK? Would you cycle to work if there were better cycling facilities in place?

Are you looking to improve your work facilities in order to make them more cycle friendly? Look no further than our fabulous range of cycle shelters and bike racks...

Call 0845 017 8866 or email info@dalviesystems.co.uk to request a catalogue!