Each laboratory environment has its own set of unique needs so choosing the best laboratory cold storage is never straight forward.
You will find an enormous range of styles available with something to suit every size and requirement. For the perfect fit a bespoke design is always the best option if you want a fully tailored solution.
Despite the variety of possibilities available for any lab cold store design, there are some essential features you should make your chosen solution includes.
Here’s all you need to know to ensure you select the best laboratory for your cold storage.
The safety of your pharma goods and community depend on these elements so you’ll want to ensure they are right.
1. Hardwearing: Whether it’s weather, rodents, chemical substances or general wear and tear, from the grade of insulation you choose to the type of stainless steel or design of the fixtures, your laboratory cold room needs to be highly-resistant to all sorts of wear and tear.
Consider your lab store an investment and prepare to spend wisely to ensure you get what you need for the long term. First-rate insulation, safety doors, a quality air circulation system, a highly-efficient monitoring system and more, are all vital to ensure your pharma goods remain safe for patients and customers to use.
Remember your finished design needs to meet industry regulatory requirements and safeguard staff using the cold room as the medicines and equipment stored inside.
2. Organised storage: During the process of acquiring your lab cold store, it’s easy to become immersed in the intricacies of the system which will keep your medicines and equipment stowed at the right temperature.
However on a day to day basis, the organisation of the storage inside your lab cold room will be just as important. Cold rooms come with their own set of unique hazards. Dangers from spills, trips, the cold environment, falling equipment and more means storage design needs careful thought.
Think about the quantity of pharma goods you will need to store and then allow plenty of room for more so your lab storage remains appropriate as your business grows.
Medicines and equipment should neither be stowed too high or left stacked on the floor whilst clear labelling is an industry requirement. You’ll also need different types of storage fixtures for the various categories of pharma goods you want to keep.
There should be plenty of room for staff to move around and tidy up safely as well as all necessary equipment, including metal trolleys for transportation.
The door type and mechanism you choose for your laboratory storage is of great importance because if an employee ends up locked inside the lab store for even a short length of time, the accident could prove fatal.
3. Safeguarding: For both the safety of your employees and goods, it’s vital you consider the safety features you’ll need to include in the design of your laboratory storage.
Accurate alerts and monitoring systems will be necessary to guard against:
- employees becoming trapped inside.
- employees remaining inside for too long due to an accident or other unforeseen
occurrence.
- unauthorised staff or visitors entering the cold room.
- accidents from avoidable hazards such as goods left on the floor.
- changes to the internal temperature due to malfunctioning equipment.
- confidential pharma goods being accessed by unauthorised staff or visitors.
and more.
Your design will need robust monitoring systems, including:
- audio and visual monitoring so you can see who is inside.
- alerts for environmental changes such as drops or increases in temperature.
- fast-response backup systems if temperature control does malfunction.
- easy access to the inner workings of the system for maintenance and monitoring.
A designated employee working at a supervisory or management level will also need to keep records of who uses the cold room and when. There will have to be a system in place to ensure the valuable and often confidential pharma goods stored inside cannot be accessed by any member of your community. You may need to incorporate secure storage, locked entry and other devices to
safeguard the content of your store.
4. High-performance: With so much at stake, a high-performing system design is essential. Compromised goods will not only put patients at risk but also leave you open to legal action and your business eventually shut down.
Ensure your design meets all industry compliance and regulations for cold storage. You can always contact the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency for further information if you are unsure.
We provide world-class, bespoke laboratory cold storage design, installation and maintenance. Whether you need a medical laboratory cold room, pharmaceutical cold rooms, consultation services and more, learn more about our services today or call us now
on:
0800 193 0076 to discuss your needs.
Operating from our head office in London, we deliver projects throughout Western Europe, including Ireland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and the Nordics. Our team has experience delivering both public and private sector contracts, navigating local regulations, and maintaining seamless quality across borders.
We welcome formal tenders, technical proposals, and partnerships with procurement teams, consultants, and principal contractors.
Thank you for contacting us!
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Telephone:
0800 193 0076
Email:
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