How to Avoid Pallet Racking Mistakes?

Pallet racking systems or pallet racks have been the most popular storage solution used across industries. Optimized pallet racks can increase the storage space and improve warehouse productivity. Irrespective of the type of storage rack you choose for your facility, the safety of materials as well as staff comes first. One can’t just randomly put things on the shelves, else it may lead to disasters.

Organizing materials according to their type and priority and optimal utilization of the available space is crucial to enhance efficiency and save downtime and damages. Specially, when there is limited space, proper organization is utmost important. Thus, even the strong and durable racks need guarding equipment, cautious handling, and maintenance to prolong their service life. This post highlights some important tips and tricks that help you avoid pallet racking mistakes and save time, money, and efforts.

5 Common Pallet Racking Mistakes to Avoid

Here is a list of common warehousing mistakes to avoid when purchasing and using a pallet racking system. So, let’s take a look at it.

1. Overloading and Improper Use: When buying a pallet racking system, it is essential to consider their specific weight limits and loading capabilities. Knowing the pallet rack capabilities before loading them with materials or parts helps ensure the safety of your racks and staff.  This is because, if the storage racks are not designed to hold heavy and bulky products or those of a certain shape, eventually, the racking system may develop cracks, dents, or even collapse. The weight limits of each shelf should be displayed on it. Also, consider the number of items you can store in each shelf because overloading should not happen in terms of volume as well. One of the best pallet racks practices for safety regulation is to store the heavy loads at the bottom or on the floor.   
2. Climbing Pallet Racks: Many warehouses and distribution centers have pallet racks that stores items out of reach. To save time, workers climb on the shelves to assemble or pick orders. But, storage racks aren’t designed for climbing as it can not only lead to racking collapse with loss of items and thousands of dollars of damage. Additionally, collapsed racks can cause serious injuries to nearby workers. Proper training of warehouse staff is essential in terms of its usage, convenience, and safety. As a tip, only those materials or parts which are not required often can be stored on the upper shelves or in faraway areas of the warehouse. Also, you can use proper material handling equipment to safely load or unload them.
3. Overlooking Repairs and Damages: Most of the time, pallet racks are subjected to abuse in the warehouse including, overloading, improper loading, collision with heavy forklifts, and beyond. For preventing and reducing the risk of pallet rack damage, train your forklift drivers on proper loading procedures and maintaining forklift speeds within warehouses.  Also, train them on keeping the warehouse free of clutter, and ensure there’s enough space for people and materials to move around safely in the aisles. Conduct and be sure to check the beam clips. regularly. Sometimes the storage rack damage may seem inconsequential. However, there may be unnoticed resultant structural damage which may be noticed during such inspections. Once the damage has been identified, repairs should not be delayed. 
4. Ignoring Height to Depth Ratio: It is vital to take the height-to-depth ratio into account. Every pallet racking system should have a lower height to depth or 6:1 ratio. If this ratio is exceeded, then safety measures are necessary to prevent overturning including, baseplates or overhead ties. When you are unsure about the height-to-depth ratio, do inspect your system independently to verify its safety.  
5. Employing Used Pallet Racks: Many warehouses and distribution centers prefer used racking systems as they are more affordable than a new one. That being said, it is one biggest warehouse mistake. Used pallet racks may look good on the floor, but there could be underlying issues like internal rust, corrosion, and more. Over the years, these issues can incur high repair costs. If you decide to go with used pallet racks, then make sure to inspect them thoroughly before purchase.

Hope this post answers your questions on how to avoid pallet racking mistakes. If you are looking for a reliable supplier who will offer you the best storage solution for your facility, then SPS Ideal Solutions could be the right choice. With a vast industry experience, the company offers high-quality storage racks and material handling equipment for every product.

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