Above: Stock image of warehouse store and pallet rack
Pallet racks by nature are very safe storage equipment, but in any areas people interact with machinery, and heavy storage, there are dangers. A recent accident at a big box warehouse retailer helps illustrate some of the problems with busy pedestrian aisles between heavy storage racks.
Tags: Safety & Ergonomics
Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|
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?
Tags: Safety & Ergonomics
Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|
Pallet rack damage can be extremely costly and dangerous. Damaged racks are more likely to collapse or spill their loads, so avoiding that damage is critical.
Day after day, year after year, it’s inevitable that a busy forklift driver in a fast-paced operation will eventually hit a rack upright. I’ve been to many facilities and seen lots of damaged frames, ranging from paint scrapes to twisted steel. This might not cause an immediate collapse, although it can. It does set you up for trouble down the road when another truck impacts the same upright, the rack is overloaded or loaded incorrectly.
Any dented, gouged or twisted rack uprights should be replaced, but how can you avoid that damage in the first place? Let’s examine some common rack protector types and where they might fit for you.
Tags: Rack Protection, warehousing, Pallet Rack, Safety & Ergonomics, forklifts, bollards
Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|
This short video details some common-sense tactics for safer pallet rack operations. Remember, pallet racks are designed for specific capacities and loads. If you are working on a rack application and aren’t sure of any of your load factors, contact us for assistance today. Also see our related infographic: “Safer Rack Operations”.
Tags: warehousing, Safety & Ergonomics, Video
Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|
