Your pallet racking system is arguably one of the most integral aspects of your distribution and warehouse operations. Although pallet racks are designed and built to be solid and sturdy, they are exposed to several rigorous applications that can cause them damage. Even one damaged rack can cause organizational issues, as well as significant safety risks for forklift drivers and other workers on the floor. Therefore, it is crucial to establish good rack protection practices to reduce damage, minimize losses, and prevent employee injury. Here’s what you need to know about preventing pallet rack damage!
Train Your Staff Correctly
Providing your staff with adequate training on safety and proper use of warehousing equipment is one of the best ways to minimize damage to your racking. Specifically, anyone operating forklifts, reach trucks, stock pickers, or other warehouse machinery should receive OSHA-approved training on all safety aspects applicable to pallet racking operations, including maintenance and operational limits. Before beginning their shift, forklift drivers should also check that all rearview mirrors, backup alarms, and other safety systems are operational.
Load Pallet Racks Properly
One of the leading causes of rack damage is improper loading and unloading. You can prevent this type of risk by ensuring that each rack is clearly labeled with load limits and instructions. Ideally, operators should ensure the load weight is centered when placing pallets on racks. The heaviest pallets should be placed on lower rack levels, while lighter loads can be stored in the upper levels. Heavy pallets that are being stored for long periods should go to the rack uprights. If you need an added layer of strength, consider leveraging reinforced upright frames and beams.
Leverage Enclosed Racks and Frames
Enclosed racks and frames are purposely designed to offer more racking damage tolerance. Ideally, they can take in more damage than partly enclosed racks. They can also absorb more truck impacts without causing severe damage when compared to the open back column. However, this doesn’t mean they don’t also need to be handled with care, as rack collapse can occur for a variety of reasons.
Ensure Proper Signage and Visibility
Visibility and signage are another big part of preventing damaged pallet racking and ensuring safety. Use appropriate aisle markings and plenty of signage to direct forklift operators and all other staff. This helps reduce any confusion and minimize the risks of accidents and rack damage. You can also increase visibility and safety by adding adequate lighting to all spaces. As soon as lighting begins to show signs of wear and tear, it should be immediately replaced.
Free Up Space
Most warehouses already have relatively narrow aisles, and any extra clutter makes forklift operation much more challenging. Forklifts are large and heavy enough to cause significant damage to a pallet rack, especially the most vulnerable parts of your racking systems. With this in mind, freeing up space is an important part of preventing pallet rack damage. Pallets stacked in aisles, tools left in floor areas, and a range of other common obstructions pose significant visibility and safety issues, especially for machine operators. If a forklift driver needs to constantly swerve and adjust to avoid clutter in aisles, the likelihood that you’ll end up with damaged pallet racking increases. Clear aisles ensure a safer space for everyone in your warehouse, so make it a policy for all workers to clean up after themselves.
Protect the Corners
Forklift accidents involving warehouse racks often occur when drivers turn too sharply at the end of an aisle, ultimately causing damage to horizontal and diagonal pallet rack braces. You can protect the corners of your pallet racking systems by installing protective systems such as bollards, rack guards, and column protectors. These systems are designed to guide forklift operators to make wide turns, preventing rack damage in areas with narrow aisle widths.
Schedule Regular Racking Inspection
Even as you do your best to prevent pallet rack damage, these systems are still exposed to massive wear and tear by their very nature. Contact collisions with forklifts, improper loading, and exposure to heavy loads are just a few of the elements that put a lot of stress on your pallet racks. Warehouse managers should schedule regular pallet rack inspections and carry out maintenance as needed. These pallet rack inspections should involve checking all racks for structural integrity issues, corrosion, row alignment, overloading, floor level, and more. Even small issues can threaten the structural integrity of a pallet rack in the long run, so make sure damaged racks are removed from use immediately and repaired ASAP.
Set Speed Limits
You may already know that reckless driving is a leading cause of accidents in warehouses, but did you know that it’s also a major cause of rack damage? Posting speed limit signs conspicuously across the warehouse floor is one of the most cost-effective ways to minimize pallet rack damage caused by speeding or careless equipment operation. Speed limits not only keep your racks safe and help you save money on repair, but they also help you keep your employees safe, too. Remember, your warehouse can be a busy place, but it should never feel like a hostile environment!
Optimize Your Warehouse Racking System Today!
Following best practices for pallet rack protection is an important part of safeguarding both your equipment and employees. To properly prevent damage to people and property alike, make sure to keep every aisle clear, leverage enclosed racks, ensure proper signage, train your staff, and load racks safely.
If you have further questions about preventing damage or need help choosing the ideal rack for your space, the team at Diversified Rack & Shelving is happy to help. We have been providing all types of warehouse pallet racking to thousands of businesses and organizations since 1990. For more information about warehouse racking installation or used industrial shelving units, contact us today!