If you use pallet racking in your warehouse, you know what a wonderful tool it can be to keep everything in order. Pallet racking is built to support heavy amounts of products and to keep up with the major demands of a warehouse. But much like a home or a car, pallet racking needs to be taken care of and maintained to stay in good working condition. If your pallet racking becomes damaged, it might not be as structurally sound as it once was and there’s a chance for someone to be seriously hurt or killed.
Pallet racking should be inspected regularly to make sure racks are level, feet are sitting evenly on the ground and securely anchored, fasteners are secured, uprights and load beams are not bent, and there are no general signs of damage such as dents, splits, or nicks in the paint. Rust is another important thing to watch for, particularly in high humidity environments and places where chemicals are stored, since it can weaken the metal.
If you have forklifts or other motorized vehicles moving around your warehouse, there’s a chance that someday, someone will not quite make a turn and bump into a rack or a forklift will get a little too close to a rack while loading or unloading something. Damage from lift equipment is the most common cause of pallet racking system collapses. What might seem like a minor bump can still be enough to compromise a rack’s integrity. If a motor vehicle has bumped into a rack, the rack needs to be inspected to ensure everything still fits together properly, nothing is bent, and that everything is still in good load bearing condition.
Make sure employees are properly trained on the equipment they use around the racks. Since damage from lift equipment is the leading cause of of pallet racking system collapses, the best way to prevent that is by making sure employees have plenty of training on how to use it safely. Another common (and very preventable) reason pallet racking systems collapse is because racks are loaded with more weight than they are intended to hold. Workers also need to be aware of exactly how much weight the racks are capable of handling.