Pallet racking is a type of shelving system used for the storage of goods and materials in a warehouse or industrial setting. It typically consists of vertical uprights, horizontal beams, and diagonal braces that provide support and stability. This means that it is essential that manufacturers stack them safely and securely to avoid pallet racking collapse.
Poor installation standards, overloading racking, negligence of the personnel, or inefficient warehouse layout can cause pallet racking collapse that can result in injuries. Accidents like this require immediate medical attention or hospitalization and could also give the company some downtime while employees recover from the incident.
With this in mind, manufacturers should have safety measures in place to avoid pallet racking collapse. This way, you’ll be able to create a safe working environment for your warehouse workers while keeping your business productive.
The following is a list of safety measures to prevent pallet racking collapse.
1. Ensure All Warehouse Personnel Are Trained.
All warehouse personnel must be trained in safely handling equipment inside the warehouse. This means they should know basic safety standards like properly installing the racks, learning the appropriate items and weights that can be stored in them, and responsibly handling and interacting with racks and equipment.
In addition, you may also implement a speed limit of five miles per hour for forklifts. This is essential as speeding forklifts could overturn an entire pallet rack or even overrun other employees.
By training your warehouse personnel on the proper installation and use of pallet racking and other warehouse equipment, you can ascertain safety within your workstations.
2. Use Rack Protection Devices.
Some pallet rack collapse incidents occur because of the excessive weight of heavy products. An excellent way to prevent this is by installing rack protection devices like upright protectors, column guards, and racking barriers. These devices can protect your pallets from wear and tear, helping to keep them in place when loaded with heavy products.
Choose a type of rack protection device that suits your specific needs. For instance, if you are using pallet racking for storage of heavy products, then you will need to choose an upright protector or column guard that can support and strengthen your racks to accommodate the products’ weight.
Rack barriers can also provide added security by hindering other machinery from hitting the pallet racking. They are designed to absorb the impact of collisions, preventing damage to the racks and potentially saving on costly repairs.
3. Get Rid Of Aisle Clutter.
When warehouse workers cannot navigate easily across the workspace due to cluttered aisles, it can create various hazards like injuries and structural damage. For instance, when a warehouse stocker carries a pallet across heavily disorganized aisles, they may trip over the clutter and bump the pallet racks, causing them to collapse.
In this case, you must organize the clutter to ensure workplace safety and efficiency. With a neat and safe environment, your employees can function more efficiently while avoiding untoward accidents with warehouse equipment.
4. Provide Adequate Space In Between Racks.
Providing adequate space between racks is essential in preventing rack collapse, particularly when heavy equipment is stored in the racks.
The structure of the racks themselves can become compromised if they are placed too closely together. Over time, the weight of the equipment can cause the racks to bend or twist, which can lead to failure. Adequate spacing between racks allows for better weight distribution, which can help prevent rack collapse. Moreover, accidents can happen around pallet racks, and if they are bumped or knocked over, it can cause a chain reaction across racks if they do not have adequate spacing.
As a general rule of thumb, leave at least 3 feet of aisle space for standard forklifts and 5 feet for reach trucks. There must be enough room for the load to move freely in case one of the pallet racks collapses.
Key Takeaways.
The safety of your warehouse workers should be your main priority as a manufacturer. The same goes for the quality of goods stored in your warehouse; you want them to be secure to ensure that they arrive to your clients in top condition.
Hence, you must ensure that your pallet racking system is efficient. As such, you must take safety measures to prevent pallet racking collapse.
You can ensure your pallet racks stay secure with various techniques, from training warehouse personnel to installing protective devices. This way, you can streamline your warehouse operations by avoiding downtime caused by untoward accidents.
