The Importance of Regular Pallet Rack Inspections for Warehouse Safety
There are many areas of a warehouse that pose safety risks and potential hazards such as accidents or injury, your pallet racking can be excluded from that list with regular inspections. While it may be in your warehouse protocol to inspect pallet racking occasionally, a proactive approach is to have regularly scheduled inspections that are handled by pallet racking experts to ensure they are consistent, thorough, and well-documented. Practicing this simple measure can ensure your employees are injury free, your pallet racking systems are safe, and all things stored on the racks themselves are stored well to retain their value.
Understanding Pallet Rack Safety
The Role of Pallet Racks in Warehouses
Pallet racks are more than just storage systems. They facilitate the optimization of space, by allowing layers of storage to be stacked vertically, maximizing the height used within the facility. They keep tools, equipment, and products organized for easy access by material handling equipment such as forklifts. Warehouses that run efficiently capitalize on inventory management, which is made more simple by storing pallets on pallet racking systems based on an organized system of criteria such as product type or SKU.
Pallet racks are structurally sound and secure, designed to withstand heavy loads, ensuring that all items are stored without the potential for damage. With adjustable shelf height and configuration options, pallet racks are easily adapted to a changing mix of stored items. They are able to maximize workflow by being strategically placed in warehouse areas based on item flow or operational processes, which enhances productivity by reducing handling time and minimizing congestion.
Potential Risks and Hazards
The greatest potential risk of a pallet racking system that is damaged is the serious harm it may cause to employees. An unstable rack is at risk of falling itself or may result in stored items falling, in either case potentially causing head trauma, fractures or broken bones, and lacerations to those near the racking system.
Damaged pallet racks may pose a risk to stored items which may shift, tilt, fall within, or fall off of the racks. The result is product damage or loss, which negatively impacts the bottom line.
When pallet racks are damaged, work is interrupted until the issue can be addressed. Order fulfillment may be delayed, operations disrupted, and inventory not kept current. The consequences can be financial or reputational.
A damaged pallet rack can impede the proper functioning of fire detection systems and obstruct fire suppression systems or sprinklers, which is a fire hazard.
Components of a Pallet Rack Inspection
Common rack issues that are identified during inspections include structural damage, overloading, misaligned beams, loose connections, and components that are worn. In a standard pallet rack inspection there is a visual inspection, as well as a load capacity evaluation. Visual inspection includes an assessment of the following pallet rack components: upright frames, bracing supports, beams and load supports, safety accessories, anchoring, load distribution, and labels. Load capacity evaluation is a deeper assessment of the dynamic, static, and uniformly distributed loads, rack configuration, rack beam spacing, and overall safety. Read more about the details about pallet rack inspection elements on our inspection subscription page.
Benefits of Regular Pallet Rack Inspections
Regular pallet racking inspections ensure the structural integrity, overall stability, strength, and load-bearing capacity of the system is maintained. Racking is engineered to store specific load capacities, and overloading can cause damage that may not be obvious. Upright frames and beams, and the connecting hardware, bolts, nuts, and clips are key components of the integrity of the overall system, and even the slightest damage can compromise the entire structure.
Scheduled Frequency
When scheduled regularly, pallet rack inspections detect issues in a timely manner. Appropriate actions can then be taken to address them, minimizing the risk of accidents, further damage, or collapse.
Regularly scheduled inspections ensure inspections will not be overlooked, giving warehouse managers and company owners peace of mind. Inspected racks reduce concerns about safety hazards or structure failure, which contributes to a safer working environment and warehouse infrastructure integrity.
Warehouse Safety
Preventative maintenance, such as tightening loose bolts and fixing damaged components, can be identified by regular rack inspections. Proactive action extends the lifespan of pallet racks, ensuring safe operations.
Extended Rack Lifespan
Well-maintained rack systems perform optimally, supporting the safe and efficient storage of goods. Racks that are in proper working condition enable them to maintain stability while handling the intended loads. The overall productivity of the warehouse is improved by smooth operations and fewer disruptions.
Cost savings over time is a benefit of regular rack inspections because proactive maintenance can identify and address issues early on, allowing racks to be repaired before they fail. Failure of racking systems means there is a cost to replace the system, warehouse downtime, loss of inventory, and the potential for employee injury. Pallet racking systems are a business investment, and there are additional expenses with prematurely replacing systems, rendering the initial investment obsolete.
Proper Documentation and Compliance with Regulations
Specific safety regulations and standards govern the use of pallet racks and regular inspections help businesses stay within compliance. Operating outside of standards can lead to financial penalties or legal liabilities. With regular inspections, the documentation of all regulations compliance is properly completed and on-hand.
National Rack Repair’s Guardian Program
National Rack Repair offers scheduled rack inspection subscriptions, called the Rack Guardian program. The program starts with an initial inspection followed by the delivery of a detailed report. Once the initial inspection has been performed, quarterly or bi-annual inspections are scheduled.
Emergency Repairs
With a subscription to the Guardian Program, you can benefit from emergency repairs to any racks damaged below 48”, completed within 7 days.
Product Discounts
All product purchases are discounted, including repair kits, replacement uprights, beams, warehouse protection, wire decks, custom solutions and more.
Prevent accidents, injuries, product damage or loss, and downtime that are a result of failed pallet rack systems by staying ahead of the threat. Proactively scheduling regular pallet rack inspections by certified experts is a simple measure that will benefit your business and employees.