Warehouses are critical to the success of a wide range of companies across the country, as well as providing jobs for countless people. While pallet rack systems can be found in almost every warehouse, their safety is frequently overlooked, resulting in catastrophic damage and injuries. Here are some top tips for maintaining your pallet racking system.
Forklift Operator Training
Pallet racks can fail and cause damage for a variety of reasons, but one typical cause is due to inexperienced forklift operators. Operating machinery can be challenging because it often requires tight maneuvers, which can cause collisions with surrounding racks. All forklift operators are required by OSHA to be trained, and this is exactly what you need to do if you want to keep your warehouse safe and accident-free.
Warehouse Layout
It’s critical that warehouse aisles are broad enough for any necessary machinery to pass securely. While it may be tempting to make aisles narrow so that the warehouse can hold more merchandise, this can lead to major problems when equipment collides with pallets and pallet racking systems.
Using Guardrails, Rack Guards, Column Protectors, and Bollards
Even the most experienced forklift operators can make mistakes and miscalculate turns. Pallet racks should be protected by bright yellow guardrails, end-of-rack guards, column protectors, and bollards to guarantee maximum safety.
Anchored Pallet Racks
It is generally a good idea to anchor your pallet racks to the floor for added stability. This will prevent the pallet rack system from collapsing or failing due to an unintentional collision. The seismic hazard zone in which you are located will determine the suitable anchoring of a pallet rack system.
Don’t Overload Your Storage Racks
It’s typical practice in busy warehouses to try to store as much as possible on storage racks in order to better arrange your items and free up floor space. While this is an obvious temptation, it might lead to catastrophic problems if your pallet racks aren’t up to the task. When pallet racks are overcrowded, the system’s integrity and stability can be jeopardized. OSHA and ANSI recommend that each warehouse provide separate plaques or labels displaying the load limitations for each storage rack.
While it can be hard to maintain your pallet racking system, we hope our tips for doing so have helped you! If you are looking for more tips for the upkeep of your warehouse pallet racking system and keeping your warehouse inventory safe, look here for more great tips and tricks!
