File Cabinets
Filing systems ensure that offices function efficiently. Using file cabinets for your data storage is an effective and practical way to keep your records well organized and easy to access when you need them. Attractive as well as functional, file cabinets have the added advantage of enhancing the appearance of your office and home.
Choosing file cabinets is an important task in any office. Filing is an ongoing need for most organizations, and the storage cabinet you choose can make this task easier for you and your staff. Once you know that you need at least one file cabinet, and probably more, for your data storage, you should assess just what your file storage needs are before rushing out and buying a filing cabinet.
The function that your file cabinets will serve is the main thing to consider. Before talking to a dealer, think about the type of file storage you require and the amount of filing that takes place in your organization. The sizes of the documents you work with will also be a factor in the type of file cabinets you choose.
Staff will want to have constant access to the file cabinets, so they will need to be located close to the people who use them. This prevents unnecessary movement and the waste of time that would occur if you based your file storage in another room. As well as being a storage container for your records, therefore, a file cabinet is also part of your office furniture. Its size and appearance need to be taken into account as well as its functionality, to ensure that it will fit into the space allocated to it and will harmonize with the rest of your office furniture.
One of the main types of file cabinets you can buy is the vertical file cabinet, with drawer depth ranging from about 15-28 inches. The number of drawers in vertical file cabinets usually varies from two to five. Drawer capacity also varies according to the type of vertical file cabinet you buy and the size of paper you want to store, such as A4, legal-size or letter-size.
Taller than they are wide, vertical file cabinets are often favored, because they take up less horizontal wall space than the other most popular type of filing storage cabinet, the lateral file cabinet. If space is a consideration in your office, you will probably find that vertical file cabinets are the best choice for your data storage needs. At the same time, remember that you will need to allocate some aisle space in the area where the file cabinets are located, to provide room for people to access them easily and comfortably.
As well as being made in various sizes, vertical file cabinets are available in a diversity of materials. If your main concern is the practicality of your filing storage container, steel file cabinets should suit your needs, and can be bought in various colors to suit your office décor. When you want a more elegant type of file cabinet, there is a great range of wood models, some in antique style.
Because lateral file cabinets are wider than they are tall, they take up more horizontal space than vertical file cabinets. Whether you prefer the lateral type of file cabinet will depend on your office shape and size, as well as your file storage needs. If your paper records vary in size and therefore require a storage container that is flexible in this way, you may find lateral cabinets suit you better than the vertical style because, unlike vertical file cabinets, they can usually hold two different sizes of paper in the same drawer. They can, for example, hold both letter and legal-size files in one drawer, thus increasing your filing options.
The drawers of lateral file cabinets are usually bigger than the drawers of vertical file cabinets. This makes them suitable for high volume file storage. Some lateral file cabinets have the extra bonus of a storage cabinet or hutch that can rest on top of them, adding to their storage capacity or creating more desktop space for other purposes. Like vertical file cabinets, lateral file cabinets are available in a variety of materials, from functional steel to elegant timber. The wood models are more expensive; however, if you are seeking to create a generally stylish tone, will fit in well with their surroundings.
When you’re looking for no-nonsense, heavy duty file cabinets to take care of your data storage needs, steelcase file cabinets are just what you need. These strong, high quality storage containers can meet your file storage requirements easily. As well as being practical, they can also look quite attractive, with a variety of colors available to match the color theme of your office.
For companies who use a large amount of paper, and who therefore have an ongoing need for filing, a steelcase file cabinet makes an excellent storage cabinet. The drawers are spacious and can take different-sized files, a flexibility of choice that is important if your work requires the use of various sizes of paper. Strong suspension bars are provided for file storage and organization. Also equipped with lift-up doors and roll-out shelves, steelcase file cabinets are built to make access to file storage easy and convenient.
When buying steelcase file cabinets, check first to see what space and height you have available in your office for this type of file storage. Steelcase file cabinets vary greatly in height, from about 24-60 inches, so measure first to find out what your space can take. Before buying, it’s also a good idea to work out the approximate volume of the data storage you are planning for the new file cabinet, to make sure it is the right size for your needs.
The records you keep in your file cabinets are important to you. In many cases, your business would probably suffer if those records were lost. It makes sense, therefore, to ensure that the storage container you use is as safe as possible. For this reason, when you are buying a file cabinet, it is well worth thinking about buying one that is fireproof.
Fire is one of the most destructive things that could happen to your records. Even if the fire is put out before it reaches your data storage area, your files could be damaged beyond repair by the water used to extinguish the fire. With the availability of fireproof and water resistant file cabinets, there is no need to run the risk of such a disastrous eventuality. As well as arranging your file storage so that it is well-organized and accessible, a fireproof storage cabinet will also help to keep it safe from fire. Some file cabinets even have media protection for safeguarding sensitive data, including computer disks, from fire. These safes are also impact resistant, to protect them from such events as a roof collapsing during a fire.
When filing records, you will want to know that as well as being as safe as possible from fire, they are also secure in other ways. Ask your dealer about the various locking systems available for file cabinets. These include such options as electronic digital locks, combination locks, and restricted key duplication.
The quality of the file cabinets you buy is as important as their style and capacity. You will want them to hold your records safely and to last for a long time, so take some time exploring the various options before making a final decision. Remember, a file cabinet is one piece of office furniture that receives a lot of use, with people opening and closing the drawers constantly when carrying out filing tasks and accessing information. If your file cabinets are not strong, they may not be able to stand up to this use, and you may have to replace them before you expected to. Rather than have this happen, you would be better to carefully check out any storage container you are thinking of buying before you make a final commitment.
The strength of the suspension system of any file cabinets you are considering is something you should check. The drawers should be able to cope with the weight of file storage while continuing to open and close easily. Quality file cabinets should also be made of strong material. This is needed to protect their interiors, as well as all the data storage they are holding, from any rough treatment they may receive when being used on a daily basis or transferred from one area to another.
Safety is an important issue to consider when using file cabinets. One serious occupational hazard that can occur is when a person using a file cabinet opens too many drawers at the one time. If several upper drawers are open, there is a risk that the weight of the files it contains could cause the storage cabinet to tip forward onto the person using it. Ask your dealer about the type of file cabinet that includes safety features to prevent this type of accident. Such features include internal locking devices and counterweighted drawers, meaning that only one drawer at a time can be opened.
You can also protect your staff from the type of physical strain that could result from trying to use a poorly constructed file cabinet. Any storage container you buy should be checked to make sure each drawer opens smoothly on ball-bearing suspension. Otherwise, someone could get hurt trying to force a drawer open or shut. Your file storage is important, but not as important as the health and safety of your staff, so such issues should be paramount when you are buying any data storage item. If you are thinking about buying used file cabinets, be especially careful about their safety standards. While older file cabinets are often made with high quality materials, you need to make sure they incorporate the safety features of the more modern file cabinets.
As well as thinking of the safety of people using your file cabinets, you need to think about looking after the cabinets themselves. File cabinets need to be placed in locations that are safe, convenient, and permanent, if possible. The more you have to move them around, the more chance there is that they will be damaged.
Give preference to a storage container that is strong and well made, rather than one that looks attractive but is less sturdy. You may prefer the appearance of wood to steel, but think about the volume of filing in your office before making a purchase. When a file cabinet will be in constant use for data storage, it needs to be tough first and good looking second. A wood storage cabinet is good for a small office where it is not used continually; however, in a large and busy office that requires a lot of file storage, the stronger steel file cabinets may be a better choice. Whatever type of file cabinets you have, remind staff to use care when opening and closing the drawers, and not to overload the drawers of any file cabinet. This will protect your staff as well as your file cabinets, avoiding the risk of people straining themselves when trying to place files or remove them from overcrowded drawers.
File cabinets have a place in the home as well as in the office. Any home office, of course, usually has at least one file cabinet to look after data storage, but there are plenty of other home uses for a file storage container. It is a great way, for example, to avoid losing those important documents, such as birth certificates and passports, which have a way of disappearing just when you need them most. Putting these records in a file cabinet makes them easy to find when needed and helps keep your home tidier.
A file cabinet is also useful for organizing and storing documents related to any type of activity. It can provide file storage for your financial records, keep the kids’ school reports tidy, and even serve as a storage cabinet for recipes and craft patterns. If you are doing a course, or researching your family history, you can store your material in file cabinets where they are out of everyone’s way when you are not using them and easily accessible when you want to work on them.
Home file cabinets can also be attractive items of furniture. Large and small file cabinets are available in anything from wood to steel, in colors to suit your home décor. As well as serving as extremely useful storage containers, file cabinets are also stylish enough to enhance the appearance of any room in your home.