Practical Methods Applied For Pallet Racking Safety And Maintenance

Practical Methods Applied for Pallet Racking Safety and Maintenance

Typically speaking, pallet racking systems are designed to withstand years of usage and applications, but they are not indestructible so that incorrect operations, accidental collision or even daily wear may cause damage to them, leading to collapse eventually.

Therefore, in order to maximize the service life of your racking systems, avoid costly system reconfiguration, and ensure the safety of workers and cargoes in the warehouse, periodic inspection and maintenance are important and necessary.

Usually, routine pallet rack safety inspection and maintenance go ahead from the following aspects:

• Employ A Professional Engineer

Besides day-to-day inspections conducted by workers, it is a farseeing choice to involve a professional rack engineer into the periodic inspection. As an expert in racking systems, he is able to find some subtle problems which may be ignored by a non-engineer. In addition, any reconfiguration or modification must be identified by an experienced engineer before put into practice.

• Protect from Rust and Corrosion

Pallet racking systems can be placed either indoors or outdoors. In this case, racks may be exposed in damp warehouse or in the sun. Because of the influence of the environment or manual operation, racks may get rusty and corrosive although they are powder coated on the surface. If a rusty beam or upright is founded, it is better to consult a professional engineer how to deal with it. Derust and spay paint again at once, or change for a new one.

• Apply Safety Accessories

Safety accessories are cost-effective for maintaining pallet rack systems. Compared with hitting racks directly, colliding with safety accessories is more affordable. Upright protector and guard rail are common accessories used in racking systems protecting racks against collision efficiently. When it is time to review the system, inspection for accessories is also indispensable. Damaged accessories should be replaced with new ones as soon as possible.

• Check for Levelness and Verticality

It is an extremely critical rule for pallet rack systems that beams should be horizontal and uprights should be vertical. Of course, there can be a minor error. For beams, they shouldn't bow more than 1/180th of their total length. And for uprights, the maximum gap between the upright and straight edge shouldn’t more than 1/1000th of their height. Once deflection emerges, you should examine the whole system carefully to find the reason and make repair or replacement immediately.

• Look for Damages

Search for damages including scrapes, dents, twists and rusty parts on racks. No matter how inconspicuous a flaw is, it should attract enough attention. Damaged racks are supposed to be fixed or substituted.

• Forbid Overload

The load capacity of beams is regulated and limited. Carrying overweight pallets will cause bend to beams, leaving safety risks for the system. Thus, the weight of goods placed on racks must within their load capacity. Besides, there is a principle for storage: bottom layers for heavy goods, upper layers for light goods.

• Make Rules for Warehouse

There are some dos and don’ts for the storage and retrieval of goods in different racking systems. They should be remembered and followed by staffs working in warehouse so as to reduce damage to racks and the possibility of accidents.