Self Storage for the Construction Trade in Wales and Beyond

Careers Wales estimates that 9% of Welsh employment comes from  the construction industries. According to the CITB (The Construction Industry Training Board), the construction sector in Wales alone had 8,055 businesses with more than one employee in 2022 (14% of employers in Wales) and an estimated total output of nearly £5.7bn. Investment in infrastructure (road, rail, energy, and water) is lower than other areas of the UK (around half), but its public ´non-housing sector´ is more than double the comparable UK level.

Given the specialist professionals as well as temporary manual workers required in any project (architects, engineers, quantity surveyors) and the small businesses providing plant and materials, sometimes on a hire basis, it is easy to see why, despite public impressions of construction companies as huge enterprises, so many small businesses and skilled self-employed professionals are involved.

In December 2023, the Welsh Government (Llywodraeth Cymru) published collated statistics, ´Size Analysis of Active Businesses in Wales, 2023´. Around 90% of employment in this sector in Wales is generated by SMEs.

How can self-storage help this vibrant sector both in Wales and other parts of the UK?

Efficient Organisation

Given the occasional, often short term, nature of what is required at each stage of a project, a self-storage facility can form a safe set place to store things and to expect to find things easily. Well managed, it allows the owner to know where each item is to retrieve as required.

This isn´t limited to tools and equipment or building materials. There is a wide range of office paperwork associated with projects including:

• Accounting documentation;
• Architectural drawings;
• Bid documents;
• Building schedules (including SOWs – statements of work);
• Communications with subcontractors;
• Contracts;
• Equipment information and schedules;
• HR records;
• Insurance certificate(s);
• Material requests;
• Planning applications and permissions;
• Safety reports and reviews;
• Work orders;
• Work schedules.

That´s an extensive amount of important office paperwork, and unless you have extra space in your home (not a damp garage) having a safe, dry, organised space to keep (and know where to locate these things) is important.

Efficiency

By having things in one place, and knowing when things are out, efficiency can be improved, especially when rules are established (or self-discipline) regarding putting things away properly – cleaned, dried and with all parts together in the case of equipment.

Similarly, the extra spare space may allow buyers to buy in bulk rather than having to schedule deliveries, saving money.

Security

Having somewhere safe to put things when not in use will help keep track of them, but also reduce the chance of theft from building sites.

According to Construction and Civil Engineering Magazine construction site theft is on the rise. The cost goes well beyond replacing stolen goods: theft can halt activities, even leading to project delays and contractual penalties. Moreover there are indirect costs like increased insurance premiums, and the potential loss of business due to damaged reputation.

The most attractive items to thieves include:

• Easy to sell on reuse raw materials: wood, metals, especially copper and aluminium;
• Tools, especially small tools or power tools, are easy to snatch and walk away with, and also easy to sell in places like Facebook;
• Mid sized machinery like cement mixers, even generators, often stolen for personal use or resale;
• Lighting and cabling, usually in better planned thefts.

The Construction Equipment Association also reported an alarming 69% increase in trailer theft in the first half of 2022. Pink Storage has state of the art security access, including CCTV 24/7, number plate recognition and monitoring features at every one of its locations.

Having the right secure external storage can reduce the chances of theft as well as leaving more space for site accommodation, toilets, transport etc.

Contract Hubs

It would be great if one job followed the other, all in the same area, but the reality of the industry is that projects are likely to be geographically dispersed and/or busy in peaks and troughs.

This leaves business owners with a difficult choice: leave things constantly on site, or return them to ´HQ´ periodically rather than take the risk of leaving them poorly attended.

Self-storage can form a hub for a project, accepting delivery of materials, providing storage for equipment not in use, and more.

A solution like Pink Storage´s storage containers for self storage is ideal. With state of the art on-site security, 24/7, it´s one less worry for project leaders and managers.

Health and Safety

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 means employers, contractors  and others must take steps ensure the health and safety of all those around them.

Beyond just the constant paperwork, companies in the sector have a plethora of health and safety equipment, most of which is reusable and doesn´t deserve skipping at the end of a contract:

Signage: floor signage, safety signage, cautions and warnings, exit signs, headroom, hot water…..

PPE Equipment: By having everything in one place, it is easy to check on condition and ensure an adequate replacement cycle,, be it hard hats, high visibility jackets or vests, boots, masks, gloves,  safety goggles, safety harnesses…..

Training materials: From signage to training materials, many courses don´t change over time, and the materials are not only great for training but can also form useful reference guides if suitably accessible.

First Aid Kit back ups: According to HSE statistics, construction is the most ´accident-prone´ industry in the UK:  82% of fatal injuries in 2022/23 occurred in just five sectors including construction. The five-year average for fatal injuries in construction is 37 a year - just over three a month.  However, given the number of people that construction employs, although the rate of fatal injury in construction is around four times as high as the average rate across all industries, is considerably less than the rate in agriculture, forestry and fishing, for example. Great improvements have been made over time.

There is a huge list of reportable accidents/incidents, and a requirement to keep an accident book. A single place to keep information after each phase of a project could prove invaluable

Choosing your self-storage

Not all self-storage is born equal. Considerations include:

• Weatherproof, and the condition of the unit, particularly with regard to damp if materials like cement are being stored;
• Drive up access, important when heavy equipment or deliveries are due;
• Flexible contacts to fit with projects: being tied in long term could add unnecessary costs to a project;
• On-site security;
• Location;
• Professionalism of the self-storage providers;
• Whether there is enough space for preparation.

(Please note that most storage units won't accept flammable materials being stored, such as solvents, gas or petrol.)

It´s no wonder that Pink Storage´s dry , secure, drive up storage solution on flexible contracts at great prices holds great attraction for the industry's customers.

Container Storage - the self storage type of choice

Traditional storage facilities offer rooms, where items must be offloaded and lugged along corridors, shared with others. Small wonder that many large sites choose to put a container onsite.

However, this creates it´s own set of issues, not least of which is the logistics of getting it to and from the site, the capital outlay, security issues, and actually having the space to place it. Additionally all maintenance issues fall to the supplier, leaving you free to focus on your project.

Shipping containers are designed for use at sea [link to container storage article if posted] and are therefore made to combat the elements - sturdy and weatherproof. They´re going, therefore, to stand up well to the heavy duty machinery and materials of demands of any building or engineering projects.

Financial Benefits

It is always important to check carefully as it can change with each company's circumstances, but renting self-storage `space can often offer financial advantages over trying to build your own storage space on a project:

Accounting: The balance sheet may look better with costs rather than with either loans, debts or high capital expenditure

Cash flow and loans: Renting space spreads the cost, to avoid needing loans or having cash flow issues;

Easy budgeting: Budgeting is easier with regular fixed payments;

Flexibility: It´s easier to move if the situation changes or the supplier isn´t able to meet your needs;

Tax: Potential tax benefits over purchasing.

Pink Storage

Pink Storage offers drive up, secure, flexible term  self-storage in 19 locations, with more planned:

England

·   Manchester 

·   Stoke-on-Trent 

Wales

·   Barry (Bari, Berwyn)

·   Bridgend (Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr)

·   Caerphilly (Caerffili) 

·   Cardiff (Caerdydd) (also Pontprennau); Norwich Road; Cardiff Central ; and Sloper Road 

·   Newport (Casnewydd) 

·   Port Talbot (Aberafan) 

·   Pontypridd

·   Swansea

·   Ystrad Mynach (Blackwood)

(and Telford's coming soon!)