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Improper racking is a critical issue that businesses face in their storage operations today. Improper racking can lead to product damage, and in the worst case scenarios, bodily injury or loss of life to your employees. Rack accidents usually occur because of impact from lift trucks, improper installation and maintenance, or overloading the racks.

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It’s important to understand how you will be using your racks when you order them, because the best way to avoid any issues with your racks is to use one that’s suited for your needs. By taking the necessary steps to ensure the survival of your pallet racks, and the safety of your employees, you can avoid any costly accidents. Here are some Pallet Racking Safety Tips you can use today:

  1. Place the load squarely – You should train your drivers to deposit pallets properly on the rack beams; square and evenly overlapping on the front and back.
  2. Don’t Exceed Rack Capacity – This is a common issue, it’s important to keep documentation of the load capacity of each rack and file it so that it’s easily accessible. It’s also important to train your workers to know the beam capacity of each rack.
  3. Guard Your Rack Bays – This relatively inexpensive addition to your pallet racks can help prevent workplace injury where there may be any foot traffic underneath.
  4. Replace Damaged Racks – Yes, it may be a hassle to unload your racks to replace a damaged part. It’s more costly than a single upright or beam if your racks happen to collapse.
  5. Develop an Impact Protection Strategy – Make sure to use reinforced corners and thicker steel columns. Structural steel can still maintain 80 to 90 percent of its load capacity even if damaged. Utilize tighter horizontal spacing in the lower portions of the frame to help prevent column failure. Reinforce columns in order to prevent impact resistance.

Even with these pallet racking safety tips, you will still need to perform regular maintenance. A proper maintenance program not only reduces the risk of rack failure, but also extends rack system life. By simply developing a schedule for periodic inspections, reporting all damage to management with a note of the severity of the damage, and understanding the required procedures for repairing the rack, your business can enjoy a longer life from its rack system.

Happy Racking!

 

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