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Warehouse pallet racking is one of the most important pieces of equipment that a warehouse or distribution centre could have. In fact, it’s deemed to be more of a necessity rather than as an optional extra. But when it comes to the installation of racking, it needs to be done properly and in a safe and secure manner.
This is to prevent items toppling over, or to mitigate the risk of the entire racking system falling. It’s imperative to protect your warehouse racking because, in turn, it preserves your stock, keeps your workers safe from harm and stops your equipment from becoming damaged. So how can you go about protecting your warehouse racking? Here are five effective things you can draw upon to achieve stability and security:
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1. Keep operator training up to date
One of the first things you can do to make sure that your pallet racking is safe and secure is to make sure that your operators have adequate training. Whether they’re tasked with manoeuvring forklifts, reach trucks, order pickers or pallet trucks, to name just a few of the machines we can provide here at Multy Lift, they will need to know how to safely navigate their way around the warehouse.
You might be wondering how this is relevant to keeping your warehouse pallet racking secure, so let us explain. Your operators will be trained on how to transport goods and move the vehicle around the warehouse with the utmost care and attention. In turn, this limits the risk of bumping into racking which could, as a result, cause it to topple. It also reduces the risk of loading racking incorrectly; something we’ll touch more on later in this article.
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2. Re-evaluate your warehouse layout
If your warehouse is laid out in a way that is complicated or crowded, then it’s far more likely that your warehouse racking will be compromised as a result of vehicles bumping into it or by brushing past items on the racking which could cause it to fall off and onto the floor or, more alarmingly, onto a passer-by.
To protect your racking, your workers and your vehicles and equipment, make sure your warehouse layout is clear, easy to navigate and is surrounded by plenty of space to allow for maximum efficiency and safety when navigating around any warehouse, regardless of the industry it is you’re working in.
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3. Implement guardrails, rack guards, column protectors & bollards throughout your warehouse
One of the best ways to prevent a vehicle from bumping into your racking is to install a physical barrier that puts space between the racking and the vehicles in motion. It’s perfect for mitigating crashes when forklift manoeuvres are over-calculated, for instance. Some of the best physical barriers you can use in and around the warehouse to protect your racking include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Bright yellow guardrails
- End of rack guards
- Column protectors
- Bollards
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4. Refrain from overloading your pallet racking from the outset
Overloading your pallet racking has the potential to make the entire structure unstable and, in some cases, top-heavy. In turn, this makes it far more likely that the racking itself will topple over. As a result, it could cause injury to nearby employees. It may also result in damage to stock, machinery and other pieces of warehouse equipment in the vicinity.
A good way to ensure the racking is safe and stable is to know the weight capacity of the racking. Also, loads shouldn’t be placed on shelving that is too small to accommodate the stock.
The ins and outs of stacking stock on warehouse racking should be covered in the training that your employees receive. This is just another reason to keep their training as up to date as possible, where applicable.
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5. Carefully stack loads on your pallet racking
Loads should be stacked with safety in mind. We have already touched on the importance of not overloading the pallet racking you have, but that’s not the only thing to consider when it comes to loading your warehouse shelving. You also need to make sure that loads are stacked in a way that doesn’t make the racking top-heavy.
Essentially, the heaviest of loads should be placed at the bottom of the pallet shelving. In addition, the lighter loads should be stored nearer the top. This will prevent the pallet racking from falling over. It also prevents stock from becoming unstable and falling from a height. Not only does this protect your stock from damage and loss, but it also keeps your workers safe from harm.
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Multy Lift is a dedicated material handling firm with over three decades of experience behind us. We can provide customers throughout the UK with a wide range of warehouse equipment, including forklifts, reach trucks, stackers, warehousing racking, mezzanine flooring and more. If you would like further information about the equipment and services we have available, get in touch with a member of our friendly, knowledgeable team today – we can also supply industrial cleaning equipment, used warehouse equipment and a warehouse equipment rental service.
