In the intricate realm of supply chain, maintaining the safety and condition of your racking equipment is vital to ensuring seamless operations and safeguarding employees. Practicing regular inspections on your pallet rack systems and keeping things up to date ensures your operations remain functional and efficient, with less chance of losing time, money, or inventory.
Understanding Maintenance Inspections
Pallet rack inspections should be performed regularly to maintain warehouse safety and the structural integrity of your equipment. Weekly visual inspections and walk-throughs of your pallet rack systems are recommended by OSHA.
The frequency of thorough inspections varies; if your pallet rack takes blows from forklifts or other equipment often, it’s best to thoroughly check your systems monthly. If things move a little more carefully in your warehouse, quarterly checks may be all that’s required. If you aren’t sure, consider checking the Rack Manufacturers Institute (RMI) or OSHA websites. You may also contact one of our experts for a consultation or professional inspection.
What to Look For
When evaluating your pallet rack systems, it’s best to look at beams, struts, uprights, and footplates. Look for damage caused by forklift collisions and other wear and tear. Signs your racking may be structurally compromised are:
- Poor alignment – A crooked row can be caused by equipment impact or poor installation. This can result in disasters like rack collapse or falling inventory.
- Unanchored or torn baseplates – An unanchored baseplate is cause for immediate concern and must be fixed as soon as possible; if an upright column is not securely bolted to the floor, it is a major workplace safety hazard.
- Dents or loose fixtures – Loose components will need to be replaced or tightened; dents can lead to poor alignment. Consultations will help you decide which solution is best for your type of damage.
- Buckled or bent uprights – Bends and buckles weaken your pallet rack’s strength, causing problems for your inventory’s storage.
- Beam deflection – If you notice excessive bowing or sagging of more than half an inch in your beams, this is a sign that they are overloaded. To determine the extent of beam deflection, measure the distance between the top and bottom of the beam. If the deflection exceeds half an inch, unload inventory immediately and identify the source of the problem.
- Bent braces – This is common damage caused from product loading errors onto a pallet rack that is cause for concern when damage is greater than a half inch.
- Missing beam safety clips – If a safety clip is found missing, replace immediately with a new one.
- Rust – Be on the lookout for rust, especially on outdoor pallet racks.
Skipping regular inspections can result in fines and penalties, as well as increased operational costs due to material failures or workplace injuries.
What to Do When Encountering Damage
If you experience an incident or find damage during an inspection, the best thing to do is record what the problem is and get a Shoppa’s Storage Solution Consultant involved. If the damage is severe, immediately unload the rack and mark the area with caution tape until an expert can come assess the situation.
All damage is different, so site visits are necessary for our experts to gauge what fixes are appropriate for your situation. We can give you information about whether to replace or repair; we can also determine whether the damage doesn’t structurally affect your pallet racking system, in which case no action is currently required.
Preventative Care
Whether it’s a repair or a replacement, maintenance is going to cost your operation time and money. Though it’s an inevitable part of the process, you can protect your pallet rack systems from harm and lessen repair costs with our catalog of preventative measures.
Shoppa’s offers a plethora of protection options so you can choose the best fit for your needs. Tools such as rack guards and upright guards straddle the more vulnerable parts of your pallet racks to protect from loading damage, forklift swipes, and more. These guards are even offered in bright, reflective safety yellow to make corners easier to see, lessening collision rates.
Looking for an upright protector that guards and reinforces the frame? We sell a post protectors proven to fight against forklift damage.
On top of selling materials, we also offer installation and consultation services on all racking and racking-related equipment.
Discover the Right Racking Solutions For You
While there are many reasons your pallet racks may take damage, don’t let it hinder your operations. Talk with our experts today to discuss our premier consulting, purchasing, and installation services.
Shoppa’s supplies products from industry-leading manufacturers in efforts t provide the best solution for each application. Pallet racks are a core part of warehouse operations, ensure yours is done right by calling Shoppa’s.