steel | Warehousing Insights | Material Handling Systems - Part 9
Cisco-Eagle Logo

The Importance of Pallet Rack Row Flue Space – and Ways to Maintain it

April 25, 2017

Pallet rack fire and flue space illustration

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has long required that pallet rack flue space should remain clear at all times so that any fires can successfully vent up rather than out, allowing sprinkler systems to activate faster. This vertical rise also helps slow fire spreading horizontally through a rack system. Flue space compliance is increasingly important to insurers and operators of warehouses and other industrial facilities. What can you do to help reduce issues with flue space obstruction?

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|

Key Ways to Maximize Space in Your 3PL

February 28, 2017

Uncovering space in your 3PL can reap multiple rewards

In a recent report of current industrial and logistics trends released by the CBRE, the prevailing theme among U.S. Tenants and Landlords is that of shrinking available space. While this should come as no surprise to those within the logistics community, the rate at which warehouse vacancy is dwindling is far outpacing the increase in new construction (new supply trails leasing demand by 1.5 to 1). This puts 3PLs in a predicament, but also provides opportunities for those who can maximize their available footprint.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Space Optimization & Planning|

Ways to Improve Forklift Driver Visibility and Awareness Factors

February 7, 2017

loading a forklift

Driver awareness—or lack of it—is responsible for many forklift accidents

Busy, frazzled, distracted, or plain inattentive drivers whose sightlines are impaired may have accidents. They’ll collide with pallet rack posts, building columns, walls, machinery and a variety of other things. Worse, they sometimes hit people. What can you do to increase driver awareness and the ability to see what’s around them?

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Forklift - Pedestrian Safety|

10 Tips: How to Protect Yourself from the Hidden Costs of Used Racks

November 8, 2016

order picker in a rack warehouse

Pallet racks are durable, and you know that if you spend any time in this industry. When properly specified, installed, used and maintained, they can last for decades. If you choose to install used racks, take sensible precautions to ensure safety and stability.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|

How to Solve the Ergonomic Problems of Floor-Level Carton Picking

September 27, 2016

order picker in a rack warehouse

When working with palletized goods stored at floor level beneath a rack beam in a typical warehouse, there are significant issues for order pickers who execute these tasks daily, including strains and stresses that can lead to major injuries, down time, and worker compensation expenses.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Safety & Ergonomics|

What Causes a Pallet Rack Collapse? How Can You Prevent it?

June 24, 2016

Pallet Rack Collapse

When heavy loads are stored on multi-level pallet racks, collapses and product falls are a primary safety concern. Busy warehouses with many workers who drive or walk between aisles of rack should find ways to reduce the chances of a disastrous event.

Stopping a collapse is an order of magnitude easier and less expensive than a single incident. Due to its interconnected nature, when pallet rack falls, it’s usually an entire row, or a series of them. Costs, in terms of damaged product, lost production time and injuries can be extreme. In many “just-in-time” manufacturing operations, losing components means losing days of production time.

So: what can you do?

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags:
Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|

Securing Product in Pallet Rack Bays

April 19, 2016

Rack Safety Types

There are some inherent safety and security issues when it comes to pallet rack – goods failing to be appropriately stacked on the pallets, failing to shrink wrap goods on the pallet, over hanging pallets past the rack beams into the flue space, and failing to secure high dollar products being stored in rack bays. Each of these situations present hazards either in safety or security.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Security|

Industrial Workstations: The Key to Improved Productivity in the Warehouse

April 19, 2016

Modern packaging and shipping work bench station

Providing employees with a comfortable, ergonomic, and efficient workspace is a necessity in any picking, packing, assembly, inspection, quality control, manifesting or other industrial operations. A proper industrial workstation, tailored to the task and employee, goes a long way toward creating a healthier and more productive workspace and environment.

There are dozens of options for workstations, ranging from a simple bench to a more elaborate set up designed with the job in mind. Let’s take a look a few industrial workstations and their unique benefits.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: ,
Posted in Storage, Organization & Workstations|

Space Saving Storage Systems for Rack and Shelving

April 5, 2016

Drive in Rack System

As a business grows, usually storage demands also increase, leaving you facing choices like storing goods off-site, relocating to larger facilities, or turning to a third party for warehousing or distribution – choices that increase overhead costs year over year. What if you could avoid those choices and increase available space in your existing storage by removing the aisles between the rows of racking and shelving?

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Space Optimization & Planning|

What’s the Right Warehouse Rack System for Your Operation?

March 8, 2016

Forklift in front of rack and shelving warehouse system

A warehouse rack system is a humble part of any storage operation that can quietly make or break its success. While that may sound dramatic, it’s a fact that in a warehouse or distribution center a rack system is at the core of operations. It’s involved in several stages of operations and it follows that it should be carefully considered.

The good news is warehouse racking systems are available in many different configurations. Most can be customized to suit your warehouse’s specific space and business needs, fill the cube and operate in most any way you’d like. Whether you are storing pallets, beverage loads, heavy components, furniture, food, cartons or any other load, rack systems can be designed to fit your application.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|

Read our customer reviews