Have you ever questioned the stability or capacity of the racking in your warehouse?  Or even gone as far as questioning if a particular load is too heavy for the beam?  Unfortunately, some of these questions go unanswered and cause terrible accidents in the warehouse.

Using up-to-date and safe pallet and racking systems can be of the upmost importance to your facility and warehouses.  If you remember and use the following criteria, you can maximize your return on warehouse costs and extend your usage on warehouse equipment.

1. Do your research. Find a reputable material handling and storage rack distributor.

To start, you will want to do your market research to find a reputable material handling distributor or consultant that will be able to make sure you’re choosing the particular racking you need that doesn’t go above or below your needs for the system design you have created.

This is so important as the expert should be able to ensure you also have all the proper protection for the system to avoid potential damage or danger down the road and extend the life of the equipment.

2. Hire a qualified contractor for your initial rack system installation.

Next, you will want to make sure you have hiring a qualified contractor to install the system.

Each upright must be properly anchored into the concrete floor according to industry standards.  All beams should have a safety lock.  We strongly recommend that each beam and upright is properly labeled with their capacities.

3. Educate everyone. Your storage rack distributor will guide you.

Next, you will need to make sure all the employees know how to use the system.  Your systems need to be in place with forklift operators before regular work is performed.

Your distributor should explain the different ways to load your system and provide you with solutions if you have any concerns. The employees should be able to use the system without any question or apprehension.

4. Schedule routine safety inspections for your storage rack systems.

Lastly, but possibly the most important, you will need to inspect the system on a regular basis.  If there are any repairs required at that time, you must repair immediately to avoid any failure in the system.

It is recommended to hire a material handling distributor to complete routine inspections that will be looking for any missing link in your system that could cause an entire system failure.  By doing this, you are getting peace of mind and also possibly reducing insurance costs based on safety.

Get started with a rack safety inspection.

Racking system safety needs to be addressed on a regular basis to not only avoid disaster but save you money, time and potentially injury to you and your employees.

For more information on racking system safety please contact IndPro Services or call 612-716-1789, we would be happy to consult you or do a walk-through of your local facility to ensure you are aware of any safety issues.