Most warehouse facilities store their goods on pallet racks to optimize material stacking for easy and safe access. However, there are some warehouse owners who do not take the proper precautions to make sure that they are safe for others to use. Pallet racking uses your warehouse’s vertical space to improve its storage capacity and organization which is far more efficient than stacking pallets one on top of the other.
However, your racks must be kept in good condition and inspections should be conducted regularly to ensure the safety of your merchandise and your employees. You could compromise warehouse safety if you fail to do the proper due diligence.
This blog discusses 8 common mistakes that should be avoided to prevent unintended consequences.
1. Failure to Conduct Regular Inspections
Warehouse inspections are an important part of warehouse maintenance. According to current safety standards, rack inspections should be conducted monthly by knowledgeable warehouse employees. Additionally, a yearly inspection should be conducted by a third-party company. Professionals with special training and knowledge about rack inspection procedures and engineering concepts should always carry out the yearly inspection. Racks are exposed to a variety of factors that can cause damage including forklift activity, loading and unloading cycles, or weather, to name a few.
Some damages can be easy to spot such as twisted columns or bent braces, but there are other issues that only a racking specialist would be able to determine. Issues that may seem harmless could worsen over time and lead to serious consequences. Rack failure could possibly injure or kill a worker or damage inventory or equipment. An expert inspector looks for potential fire hazards, clearances, and damages, and makes sure that the load capacity plaques or labels are displayed correctly on the racks to make it clearer for operators to avoid overloading.
2. Do-It-Yourself Repairs
We do not recommend do-it-yourself repairs. They must be performed by a certified technician with an engineer approved plan. Risk factors and many requirements must be taken into consideration when these repairs are performed.
The process of repairing may involve field welding which needs to be in accordance with AWS D1.1, CWB, CSA S16 and A344, or ANSI MH 16.1. This also includes:
- Validating the appropriate base metal thickness
- Considering the racks’ previous loading history
- Performing a stress analysis test on the structure
- Taking fire hazards into account during the welding process
- Acknowledging the welding procedures conducted by a certified welder
- Controlling the operating temperature during the welding process
- Having a qualified professional engineer oversee the repair
- Inspecting the welding quality
- Inspecting the repairs once the work is completed
Without the proper certification, do-it-yourself repaired systems can create a safety hazard. The welding affects the rack’s safety. If the repair was performed outside of the acceptable temperature range or the surface was contaminated, the situation could worsen.
3. Using Incompatible Repair Components to Fix Racks
Different manufacturers make different types of racking components. If there is a damaged rack beam or column, one might assume that it can be replaced with a similar beam or upright. When incompatible parts are installed on a rack component, there is no guarantee that they will replace the original parts adequately.
Let’s say an upright column and a beam made by another manufacturer don’t fit together correctly because they use a different punch pattern. The beam might not adequately perform when it becomes subjected to heavier loads or could become detached during a forklift operation because it is not locked into place correctly. While there are standard connection types, some manufacturers also produce various proprietary techniques for connectors, beams, bracing, and columns in their racks. You must make sure that the racking components you are using are compatible so that the racks can still be used like they normally would without compromising warehouse safety.
4. Not Keeping the Racking Systems Anchored
Anchors keep a rack structure stabilized and provide resistance against horizontal and uplift displacements located on the base of the columns. ANSI/RMI MH16.1 states that each rack, depending on the manufacturer’s design, must be anchored with one or more anchors per column. This not only protects against seismic forces, but also against the improper usage of forklifts, which can accidentally lift/move an unanchored pallet rack and create a dangerous situation.
Please remember to place at least one anchor per column at every rack. Learn more about anchoring your pallet rack.
5. Inadequate Aisle Widths
Make sure you check the compatibility of the aisle dimensions along with your forklift prior to positioning the pallet racks in your facility. The type of equipment being used is what determines the aisle widths. If a lift truck only has limited space to move around, the risk of impacting the racking systems and causing damage goes up significantly. The recommended aisle width according to OSHA should be at least 3 feet wider than your largest equipment (a minimum of 4 feet).
Without enough clearance, the storage racks and loads will likely become damaged. Operators will attempt to slow down to minimize the damage which will increase operating costs for your facility. If you have too much clearance, the construction costs of the rack systems will increase, and you will be wasting a lot of space. Whenever you are using mechanical handling equipment, you must have sufficient clearances for turns or passage, aisles, through doorways, and loading docks. Each passageway and aisle must have clearance limit signs, be visibly marked, and be kept clear at all times.
Read more – How wide should your warehouse aisles should be
6. Connecting Your Racks to a Building
Pallet rack structures are designed to be freestanding and self-sufficient. Building components such as joists, building columns, or walls should not support extra loads from other structures unless approved by an engineer. If you connect pallet racks to building components, forces will transfer between them that could damage the rack or the building structure, which may have severe consequences.
Unless a structural engineer designs or certifies the structures specifically to sustain or interact with the forces, you should never connect pallet racks to building components. An engineer must design and approve any modifications should you decide to connect your pallet rack systems together using cross-aisle ties or row spacers.
7. Not Using the Racks Appropriately
You may think that your rack systems can be used to store almost anything, but unfortunately, that is not the case. Most racks can only support pallet loads that are distributed evenly across a pair of beams. If you are using upright braces to support your items, you may end up damaging them. A rack’s load capacity is also calculated using a specified beam configuration. If you attach other objects to your systems like more merchandise, rack replacement parts, or tools, this will put a strain on the system that could increase the risk of failure.
8. Using Inadequate Protective Devices
Racking systems can efficiently support vertical loads to some extent, but they cannot withstand strong impacts caused by forklifts. Guarding accessories are typically added to columns or uprights in high-traffic locations to offer protection through a barrier that partially deflects or absorbs collisions to reduce the impact. Racking protection can minimize forklift damage and protect your systems. If you use inadequate protection like wood poles, warehouse safety could be compromised.
If something isn’t designed to be used with a racking system, it can easily dislodge should a serious impact occur and harm the rack. Rack protection reduces recurring operation downtime and upright replacements, saving you time and money on maintenance.
