A pallet racking system needs to be in good operating condition in a hard-working warehouse environment to ensure worker’s safety. Warehouse accidents can be catastrophic in terms of product loss, time loss and potential injury. Keeping your workers safe when they are working should be of paramount importance to employers. Raising safety standards can improve morale, reduce work related accidents, and save money in the long term by decreasing the number of remedial repairs required to structures within the warehouse.
Most pallet racking accidents fall into one of the following categories:
Correct installation, inspections, and preventative maintenance all help keep repair costs down by preventing more extensive damage or wear. Most often, damage occurs due to an impact from equipment working in the aisles, such as forklifts and picking vehicles. Uneven loading and overloading are also leading causes of damage.
To maintain a safe working environment and compliance with warehouse racking safety standards, you should choose a professional design and installation company and conduct regular condition checks. Many insurance companies will require you to have regular inspections carried out by competent pallet racking safety experts, so it makes sense to introduce these from the outset.
To ensure your pallet racking system will not collapse, professional installation is required, along with regular pallet racking safety inspections. Pallet Racking Systems can install your used racking and ensure it is constructed correctly, using the right fixings. We will ensure that you are aware of your rack’s operational and weight limitations. We will also make sure you get the right design advice and handle any future alterations.
Once your system is installed, you must put in place a pallet racking safety policy for immediate reporting of defects and damage and set a schedule for internal visual inspects and third-party expert inspections.
After the installation of your warehouse pallet racking system, it is essential to enforce strict safety procedures, such as:
Furthermore, it is recommended that pallet racking protection is introduced to your pallet racking system. Some pallet racking accessories protect racking from being struck by fork lift trucks and other machinery. Other pallet racking accessories prevent stock items from falling from the shelving. Pallet racking protection items include:
These are an organisation that exists to promote the correct design, installation and use of any storage equipment that is manufactured by its members. An inspection of your warehouse racking by an inspector who has been trained in SEMA standards and requirements will ensure that:
Once you have had your warehouse storage racking installed and procedures in place, you should arrange for an independent initial inspection to be carried out by experts. This will ensure that any problems are identified straight away, so that they can be rectified. If any repairs or preventative measures are needed, make sure that they are carried out to SEMA standards. Once any problems have been dealt with, or if the inspection reveals no problems, you can be confident that your pallet racking conforms to official requirements.
Many warehouses operate 24/7, so pallet racking safety checks should be introduced as a routine. Depending on the frequency of use, pallet racking safety checks should take place weekly or bi-weekly and be complemented by ongoing, daily visual inspections, which are the responsibility of everyone who works in the area.
A rack safety inspection will help your business detect issues, problems, and risks, so that defects, damage, and wear are tackled before a significant incident occurs.
You should create a checklist and a schedule, which should cover:
Note all safety concerns and arrange remedial actions. Where these cannot be carried out straight away, offload the racking to prevent any potential further damage, such a buckling and it may be necessary to cordon off the aisle or section.
Something that looks superficial could be more severe than it seems. The integrity of the whole system involves all components working together in harmony to support large volumes and weights of materials, goods, and equipment.
To talk to an expert about design, supply, installation, or to arrange regular racking inspections, please contact Pallet Racking Systems. Our company has more than 45 years of experience selling good condition used racking that conforms to SEMA and FEM10-2-02 design codes of practice. You can speak to our team on 0800 085 8117 or send an email to [email protected].
Tags: Pallet Racking, Pallet Racking Inspection, Pallet Racking Safety