Types of Warehouses
Ambient Warehouses
Ambient warehouses are kept at room/outside temperature and do not maintain any special environmental conditions. This type of warehouse is the most common.
Climate-controlled Warehouse
Specialised warehouses have freezers, refrigeration and/or humidity controlled areas.
Bonded
A bonded warehouse is a secure facility operated by a country’s customs authority (for example, in the UK, they are operated by Her Majesties Revenue and Customs (HMRC) or operated under licence from the HMRC. They provide secure storage of imported goods until they are either re-exported, released on assessment or until payment of import duties has been paid.
Types of Goods and Storage Conditions
The environmental arrangements for the storage of goods within a warehouse depends on the types of goods stored. Many of the types of goods are listed in Table 1 with the appropriate storage arrangements:
| Type of Goods | Description | Storage Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Perishable | Goods with short shelf life that deteriorate relatively quickly | Climate controlled (chilled) |
| Non-Perishable | Goods with long shelf life and do not deteriorate over time | Ambient |
| Chilled | Goods which must be stored below 8°C such as fresh food | Climate controlled (chilled) |
| Frozen | Goods which must be stored between -10°C and −20°C such as frozen food | Climate controlled (frozen) |
| Dry | Goods which need to be protected from insects and damp conditions such as dry foodstuffs | Humidity controlled |
| Hazardous | Goods which contain hazardous chemicals | Special storage and handling |
| High Value | Good of a high monetary value | Additional security |
| Electronic | Electric goods such as computers | Dust-free |
Table 1: Types of Goods and Storage Conditions