You rely on your warehouse racks for keeping inventory and materials accessible and organized. But, like everything else in your warehouse, a storage rack can be dangerous. Here are five safety rules for your warehouse rack system.
1. Never Overload Racks
Maintaining the right weight distribution and strictly observing weight limits are critical to keeping your goods secure and preventing serious injuries to your warehouse crew. Your material handling distributor provided detailed info about loading your racks; post those limits clearly on your racking system and inspect your racks regularly for signs of misuse or damage.
2. Train, Train, Train
It’s a shelf; how hard can it be to use? Properly loading your warehouse racks requires skill, as does assembling and reassembling the system and identifying problem areas. Train your crew on how to use the storage racks safely and effectively.
3. Don’t Ignore Damaged Racks
Warehouse racks need to be in good condition. Damaged or faulty components may destabilize the entire system, potentially resulting in a variety of hazardous situations, including collapsed shelves and falling inventory. Regular inspections should be put in place to look for things such as signs of corrosion, damage from forklift collisions, bends in the beams, and many others.
4. Be Vigilant About Securing Items on Racks
Pallets and other large inventory items must be properly secured to your warehouse storage racks. There are a number of fastening methods available to suit different types of inventory. Take the time every time to ensure that each item is securely fastened to the rack and will stay in place even when the rack moves or vibrates.
5. Don’t Forget Anchors
Anchors at the base of each column are essential to keeping your system secure. At minimum, each column needs an anchor and each anchor needs to be securely bolted to the floor. Your specific system will provide anchoring guidelines that should be carefully followed to prevent horizontal displacements or uplifts. Without proper anchoring, one hit from a forklift could send your entire rack system into disarray.
The Bottom Line
Safety comes first in your warehouse. Make sure you and your team know and follow all the safety guidelines associated with your warehouse racking system. If you have questions about how to improve the safety of your racks and shelves, talk to your material handling partner for more information. Failure to follow the safety guidelines puts your team at risk. Following the safety rules for your system will improve the functioning of your warehouse and give you peace of mind.
