How to Plan an Office Fitout

While an excellent office fitout has numerous benefits for the business and its employees, it can often prove to be a stressful project with a substantial amount of time and budget allotted to it. Careful planning is the first step in making sure that your office fitout project is a success. Here are some tips to help you plan your project.

1. Set project goals. Determine beforehand exactly what you want to achieve with your new office fitout. Do you want the office fitout to reinforce the branding of your business? Are you aiming to increase your employees' motivation and productivity by providing them with a better work environment? Keep a list of all your project goals. In this way, during and at completion of the project you can ensure your project goals are achieved.

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2. Keep a checklist. List down all the requirements you need to meet along with matching timelines. Do you need to purchase new office furniture and fixtures? Do you need an architect to look at your office layout? Do you need to talk to a real estate agent or consult with an office fitout contractor? List all of these tasks down to keep the fitout project organised.

You may need to have some fixtures installed after office hours to ensure your employees are able to work undisturbed during office hours. Include the schedules of installations or other such jobs in your checklist as well, for you to make sure that each aspect of the project is done on time.

3. Don't compromise on quality. There are many furniture and fixtures in the market today that vary in quality and cost. There is nothing wrong with trying to keep the costs of the project down, but searching the market for the lowest price can lead you to purchase items of poor quality. Check the quality first before considering the price. You will find that purchasing high quality furniture and fixtures will help you save on costs in the long run as these items will not need replacing or repair for several years.

If you need to cut down on costs, search your current office furniture for high quality items you can still use in your new office fitout. If they fit the theme, design and layout of your fitout, keep them.

4. Include items such as IT infrastructure, phone and power outlets, and storage cabinets in the office layout budget. It is often cost-efficient to include other updates to these systems along the new office fitout, just make sure these fixtures complement how the workstations and other furniture appear in the layout. You can also consult with your architect, IT manager and electrician to make sure that the positioning of all elements is correct.

5. Do research. There are various trends and innovations in office fitout design available, such as ergonomic furniture and modern furniture pieces that will enable you to maximise limited office space. To make sure you are selecting the most appropriate pieces and design for your office fitout project, do your research. Are you planning to relocate your office? Then research on the commercial area or building you are interested in. Make sure you are making informed choices in all the aspects of your project.

6. Consider safety first. Before starting the actual office fitout work, make sure you have addressed the safety requirements of the building including the placement of fire extinguishers, sprinklers, smoke detectors, exit signs and other safety equipment. Also consider the placement of non-slip floor surfaces and glass partitions. In this way, both employees and contractors are assured of their safety during construction of the new fitout.

7. Consult with a professional fitout contractor. Businesses who are trying to save on costs often make the mistake of undertaking the project by themselves, without the help of a professional. They end up going beyond their budget and deadline. Office fitout contractors can help you maximise your office space and give your office a professional look. They can help you make the best decisions for your office fitout.

How to Plan an Office Fitout

Peter Wormersley is the Director of Integrity Office, an office fitout Melbourne based company that has over 30 years of experience in providing and designing complete office fitouts and office furniture including workstations, desks, chairs, storage systems, reception and joinery furniture. Visit integrityoffice.com.au for more details, product reviews and tips on office furniture selection.

Get Custom Metal Parts For Your Business With Metal Fabrication Services

Metal fabrication is the act of cutting, bending, and assembling different types of metal in order to create metal structures or parts. Your business or company can get custom metal parts made specifically for your needs with metal fabrication services. Read on to learn how.

Generally, stainless steel grades 304, 316, and 410 are best for making custom metal parts. Stainless steel grade 304 makes the most cost-effective sense for most sheet metal work, and additionally offers reasonable corrosion resistance. If you need a wide variety of different shapes and forms manufactured, stainless steel grade 304 is the most popular choice. Its high formability and weldability characteristics make it a cost-effective material for most consumer and light industrial products.

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If you need your custom metal parts to stand up to elevated temperatures, stainless steel grade 316 is more corrosion resistant and heat resistant than grade 304. Common applications for stainless steel grade 316 include chemical equipment, valves, and pumps. Stainless steel grade 410 has great heat treatability, but it is poor in corrosion resistance, making it ideal for cutlery.

Custom stainless steel metal fabrication capabilities also include medical & dental components, chemical equipment, brackets, baskets, carts, cookware, appliance components, shelving, ductwork, and stainless steel paneling.

Aluminum sheet metal is also great for most custom metal fabrication. Aluminum grade 1104-H14 is commercially pure aluminum that is chemical and weather resistant. While it is ductile with good weldability, it is weak. It is used most in jewelry and chemical applications. Aluminum grade 2024-T3 is typically used in aerospace metal fabrication applications. This type of aluminum alloy has great machinability, fair corrosion resistance, is heat treatable and has good workability and appearance.

Aluminum grade 3003-H14 maintains good weldability and formability, and is corrosion resistant. Common metal parts made with aluminum grade 3003-H14 include mail boxes, cabinets, tanks, stampings, spun and drawn parts, and fan blades. While stronger than 3003, Aluminum grade 5052-H32 is still formable and has high corrosion resistance and weldability. It is used in manufacturing electronic chassis, tanks, and pressure vessels. Aluminum grade 6061-T6 is a heat-treatable structural alloy with great weldability, corrosion resistance, and great strength.

Other custom aluminum fabrication capabilities include aerospace and aircraft components, storage cabinets, holding tanks, pressure vessels, stampings, spun and drawn parts, fan blades, automotive intake manifolds, exhaust manifolds, and exhaust systems, as well as engine heads, sleeves, blocks, crankshafts, connecting rods, pistons, and other vehicle suspension components.

As you can see, there are many, many different custom metal parts that can be made through metal fabrication. Order custom parts for your business today!

Get Custom Metal Parts For Your Business With Metal Fabrication Services

Noble Industries is one of the largest and most diverse metal fabrication companies in the Midwest. Founded in 1969, the Indianapolis metal fabrication company has been providing cutting edge sheet metal fabrication and manufacturing solutions for over 40 years, including custom metal stands and other custom metal parts.

Industrial Safety Products for All Companies

Industrial safety is an important issue. Workers have the right to complain if hazards exist in their workplace. Both local and international laws have provisions for this issue. Products and policies have also been created to protect employees from different dangers.

Basically, extensive selections of industrial safety products are created for different companies and industries. Doctors wear gowns and gloves to shield their bodies from infectious diseases that they are exposed with. Traffic enforcers use bright-colored vests in order to be seen even at night.

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Although each company requires specific items to protect workers, some safety products are installed and utilized in all businesses. They are used as tools against unexpected situations that may incur expenses to companies.

These items do not have to be attached to the body of the assets it protects. Most of the time, employees just pass by without even noticing them. It is as if their colors and sizes are not enough to remind people that they are there. Generally, workers only notice them during emergencies.

These safety items are not only seen in companies related to manufacturing or those that cannot be accessed by others. Industrial well-being is offered even to those that provide leisure, such as movie houses, concert halls and malls.

Some of the products include the following:

- Posts

Posts have arrays of uses. They can be used as labels to help us pick the right items. Imagine the result if a doctor picked up medicine without a label. They are also used to show directions and emergency exits. These are very important in emergency cases because they can assist people in finding their way out of danger.

- Tapes

The importance of tapes is often underestimated. We usually just look at them as means to attach an object to another. We have forgotten the fact that they can also secure various items and hold them steadily. Industrial tapes are made with special materials to ensure workplace safety.

Some tapes are made with neon colors. These aid sign posts in leading people away from dangers. There are also those that are used to prevent people from slipping off due to slippery floors or stairs. These types of adhesives are helpful to those who push heavy carts. They help create friction that controls the carts when passing on elevated areas.

- Rags and wet floor signs

Lawsuits have been filed against big corporations just because of wet floors. This is because they can cause injuries, or sometimes death, to people. Wet floors can cause people to slip and accidentally hit their heads on corners with sharp edges or acquire concussions. There are floors that do not look wet even though they are.

Wet floor signs can warn people. Once they see them, they automatically look for alternatives paths. Rags, on the other hand, can prevent workers from getting other areas of the workstation wet.

These are just few of the items produced by safety product companies. There are countless others and some of them are vital regardless of the nature of a business.

Industrial Safety Products for All Companies

Industrial safety products exist to ensure safety of workers. Different employees wear various items produced by safety product companies depending on the nature of their jobs.

Fire Fighting in an Enclosed Environment

In almost all factories and companies, there are certain enclosed areas where only machines work. This includes warehouses for agricultural machineries, construction and mining equipment, rooms of boat engines and computer and telecoms cabinets. Some factory spaces even contain a number of machineries which are hard to supervise individually. Often times when machinery catches fire, it will be too late for an operative to discover and tackle it.

For many unsupervised situations, the only answer in fire safety is automatic fire extinguishers. This type of extinguishers has the features of typical portable fire extinguishers but only automatically discharges in the event of fire. Instead of the squeeze grip handle, a heat-sensitive glass bulb is replaced. The bulb contains a liquid which expands when heated (normally at 68 to 79 degrees centigrade). Upon the bursting of the bulb, the head will act like any sprinkler head releasing and dispersing the extinguishant in the local area.

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If a fire occurred in a boat engine compartment for example, the extinguisher will likely have done its purpose and extinguished the fire before the boat user would even know there was a fire.

WHAT ARE THE AVAILABLE TYPES?

There are only two types of available extinguishers for this type of devices: multi-purpose powder and FE36 gas. The multi-purpose powder extinguisher content is more popular for two simple reasons:

- Versatility with any type of fire;

- It is cheaper compared to the more advance gaseous counterpart.

However, the after-fire damage from powder may not be recovered when residue remain on the machineries making it impossible for material salvaging. This type of device is practical if the damage is immaterial as the alternative is disastrous. It is only suitable for Class A, B, and C fires.

For more valuable electrical, computer and telecoms equipment, the FE36 gas is a clean agent which leaves no mess at all. Being a gas, the head can also be mounted almost horizontally for further and deeper penetration of the agent into a compartment. This type is also particularly suited to protect machinery and where there is a risk of fire such as in boat or vehicle engine compartments. It is suitable for Class B and C fires.

IS THE FE36 GAS SAFE ON THE OZONE?

The past filling of halon 1211 (BCF) or halon 1301 in green extinguishers or the ordinary combustibles more popular with Class A fires have been proven to create adverse effects into our Ozone. Contrary to this environmental damage, the FE36 gas has been designed to have a Zero Ozone Depletion effect and is quite safe to use anywhere.

Machinery, electronics and engines catching fire are all too common situations happening everyday in industries all over the world. Not only the material damage but also the cost of downtime can be huge and often is never recovered. These are the main reasons why having such a great tool for extinguishing fires is important. An automatic fire extinguisher can sweep your industrial worries and could even save your life one day.

Fire Fighting in an Enclosed Environment

Having specialized in the automatic fire extinguishers trade for over 20 years, Brian now works tirelessly to promote affordable fire safety for home and for business.