Pallet racking is an integral part of any working warehouse, being able to store thousands of products on pallets in multiple levels on horizontal rows has enabled companies around the world to become more efficient and cost effective in the way goods are stored. However, this efficiency can be halted in its tracks by one of the biggest threats to pallet racking, the fork lift truck, even though the two can work together in harmony they can also conflict with each other, one soft touch from the fork lift truck to the sleeping giant that is pallet racking can seriously damage the rack, and can cause a potential health and safety nightmare.
Damage can be a costly problem, in time, financial implications and inconvenience, not to mention the human cost in the event of an incident. European standards and industry guidelines specify a small deflection of just 3 mm to an upright is the absolute limit. But it’s not only pallet racking uprights that need inspecting for damage, others areas include horizontal/diagonal bracing, beams, beam safety clips and floor fixings… a lot to think about especially when you are already maintaining the rest of the warehouse/staff. Even though looking after your racking may seem like an uphill struggle, there are a variety of ways to stem the flow of damage on your site, or even eliminate it all together.
Racking protection:
Protecting the racking uprights sounds simply enough, prevention is better than cure, right? Racking protection can significantly reduce damage to pallet racking, and should be an integral part of any racking system. The Rack Group are the UK’s master distributor of Rack Armour, proven to reduce your racking damage by 80%!
Racking inspections:
Racking inspections are an absolute must, these detailed documents can give you a great insight into how safe your racking is, not only that but it also gives you the action that needs to be taken in the damaged areas, giving you peace of mind and taking a little weight from your shoulders.
Planned maintenance:
After an inspection has been made the information gathered must be assessed into levels of severity and a planned maintenance program needs to be introduced to ensure all damage receives the appropriate level of action within the required time scale.
Rack training:
It sounds simple, train your staff and they will have a greater understanding of their surroundings, but unfortunately training for warehouse staff isn’t always seen as a priority, people often blame the forklift trucks for damaging rack uprights, but fail to address those who are operating them.
By incorporating protection measures, safety inspections, planned maintenance and training into the safe system of work for a warehouse, you will ensure you are well on your way to complying with the regulations that govern the way you and your staff operates your warehouse.
• The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
• The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 – Sections 4, 5 and 7
• EN15635 European Standards
• The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations – Sections 4,6,20,23 and 24
• Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 Section 5
• The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations – Sections 5, 8 and 9
Detailed training packages can not only raise staff moral, but seriously boost your employee’s knowledge of their working environment.
All of the above should be encompassed on every site that holds pallet racking, and every site that does, should have significantly reduced racking repair costs.
The Rack Group Ltd offer a total solution to all your pallet racking needs, inspections by qualified industry experts, installations including specialist repair materials using experienced NVQ qualified installation teams, Rack Armour ™, a unique upright protection device to reduce damage levels, and training in all aspects of pallet racking awareness, installation, maintenance and inspection.
Contact us today for more information on how we can help you today!
The Rack Group Ltd
Tel: 01226 784 488
Email: info@therackgroup.com
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