With the economic shift by businesses into the eCommerce arena, many business owners are completely restructuring and redesigning their operations for their warehouse needs. One area that warehouses are jumping on comes in the form of pallet racking – an effective, practical and safe storage solution for inventory.
Many may feel that the planning stages for mapping out a pallet racking strategy seem overwhelming, but the truth is that having that strategy is one of the best investments your businesses will ever make. All it takes is careful planning to adjust your current warehouse layout and then selecting the right warehouse storage equipment for the job.
Whilst calculating the space and storage required for warehouse racking may feel difficult at first, taking full and concise measurements of the likely space usage is the best way to get things right the first time.
Many kinds of pallet racking generally add a lot of space to the vertical dimension, so this needs to be considered right from the start. You will have to take into consideration wall height, floor space and any existing shelving your warehouse has. When combined, all of this information plays into choosing the best storage system for your warehouse.
Taking a full inventory of your existing stock is going to be the next vital part of the process. You could run a full audit of your existing stock and reduce it without wasting too much, allowing you to prepare for a racking system that provides the right capacity and load-bearing capability.
Depending on your business, you may require holding even more stock in the future and will require the space for it at a later date. Whilst working out these calculations can take a sizable amount of time and labour, it is the difference between having a system with lots of space for manoeuvre instead of one that makes very little difference to your warehouse.
Being prepared on the installation day makes the difference in avoiding disruption to your business or stock levels. Even having a temporary plan in place for moving and holding inventory whilst older shelving is disassembled and removed in preparation is a good plan.
When these older shelving and storage units are removed to bring in pallet racking, you may also require staggering your schedule to make your transition smooth and without any problems. You will also require plenty of space to manoeuvre the pallet racking for installation.
If pallet racking is the future of your business, contact the team at Monarch Shelving today for safe storage solutions.
How does a warehouse benefit turn into warehouse safety hazards? In the form of pallet racking, it can be costly to both your business image and your employee wellbeing when your racking suffers an accident that compromises the integrity of the system.
If not maintained and inspected regularly, your warehouse storage equipment can quickly become a common warehouse hazard. Here are some causes to look out for.
Every warehouse has an instance where inadequately trained employees have used or maintained warehouse pallet racking and it turned out for the worse. These are more likely to cause accidents than any other.
All employees who work around a system of this kind need to understand how to operate around it, understand the dangers of working under them and, more importantly, how to report any incident which can compromise the entire system.
All employees need to be fully trained in safety precautions around the pallet racking to reduce the risks of both harm and damage.
If your pallet racking is not regularly inspected, serious or light damage that can lead to a full racking collapse is being ignored – that poses the biggest possible risk to workers and company operations overall.
Signs of wear and tear and where repairs would require immediate action being taken going unnoticed leaves a bad impression on your company’s health and safety measures. If your racking is not safe, your business is not safe.
Be sure to have the racking inspected monthly and repair where needs repairing to avoid catastrophe.
Everyone should know how important it is to have a safe and reliable storage solution in place, but the weight they hold has a nasty habit of becoming overloaded by not double-checking the inventory and overstocking.
This can mean shifting certain products to an area with commercial shelving – or simply downsizing your stock intake on certain items not shifting as fast as others. Having control over your stock amounts and ensuring you do not have an excessive amount of stock provide struggle for your system, you make the difference between a full collapse and a longer lifespan for your system.
Moving parts on pallet racking systems can wear out and make the likelihood of a collapse more apparent.
Rust can occur when exposed to elements or chemicals regularly, and these are instances that need to be reported as soon as noticed. Sometimes they can be rusted beyond repair, and the entire system will require replacing.
In those instances of warehouse safety hazards, contact the team at Monarch Shelving so that a full appraisal of your current and future needs can be fully planned.
Warehouse operations have a lot of coordination and logistics involved every single day to keep a smooth-running business. Many areas are critical within that to make sure warehouse management systems are on top form, including one of the most pivotal areas – your pallet racking system.
From regularly inspecting it for damage to taking precautionary steps to ensure accidental damage does not occur – your racking cannot be overlooked in the process.
You need the best for your warehouse to operate as the best. Safety standards suggest that rack inspections be done every month by knowledgeable workers and a yearly checkup by an expert company be scheduled with no exceptions.
Consequences from rack failure can mean damage to equipment and inventory – or even worker death. It is that serious a consequence. An inspector watches for damage and clearances that can cause a multitude of hazards from fire to overloading on capacity. This ensures that everything is following safety and that your system is not compromised.
This includes ensuring that the type of system you have is still suitable for your warehousing requirements.
When looking at safety and efficiency in accessing the racks, not having clear aisle space leads to bedlam. Floors being marked with coloured tape do their job in keeping your walkways clear and having enough storage so that pallets are not occupying floor space and workers are not having to take risks in manoeuvring around them.
Having clear aisles helps production in a busy warehouse by marking specific directions to take and speeding up turnaround by eliminating confusion. This is equally important to forklift operation and the unloading of pallets.
Stacking high storage levels is a common practice in a warehouse. However, the higher you stack the more risk of falling objects onto employees below them.
Workers in a warehouse need to take notice of safety hazards as much as racking needs extra security to prevent falling objects. Depending on the goods that are stocked within the warehouse, specifics can be put together by a professional in a more bespoke design to reinforce safety.
Additional safety training can also ensure that everyone working around this system knows how hazardous it can be and follow all guidelines for reporting damage and not compromising the system.
Contact the team at Monarch Shelving today for pallet racking, warehouse management systems, and warehouse storage equipment that are safe, secure and fit for your purpose.
The most common cause of damage to pallet racking is down to daily work activities including the impact from mechanical handling equipment and forklifts, uneven loading and wear and tear on components.
Given this, it makes common sense to ensure your industrial storage racks are given regular inspections to ensure compliance with all safety regulations and maintain a safer work environment. Putting an inspection process in place helps prevent poor working practices that can affect your working operations and reputation.
pallet racking Threat
Pallets can only fall one way and that is downwards, but the bumps, crashes and collisions that happen in a busy work environment come from all sides and heavily contribute to the weakening of your structural integrity.
For pallet racking, lack of care results in serious consequences such as full system collapse, injury and even death. On top of all of that, your inventory is destroyed and your operations ground to a halt as repairs are conducted – as well as an investigation.
The smallest piece of damage can lead to a hugely expensive loss. A damaged upright can be repaired or replaced at minimal cost compared to an entire system that caves in. the impact from a forklift can seriously compromise the integrity of a supporting upright even with what seems to be superficial damage.
Pallet racking is designed to house a serious amount of weight and store huge volumes of that weight way up high towards the ceiling of the building. These systems rely on the structural strength of all supporting components, from rack frames to locking pins. This is why many insurance companies require a racking inspection to validate insurance for your company.
Regulations
Racking falls under the definition of work equipment and is subject to the UK’s Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, requiring employers to routinely inspect all work equipment under that umbrella that has the potential to deteriorate or suffer any damage. Pallet racking systems fall heavily under this specific criteria.
Therefore, all pallet racking inspections should see that any damage or defects are reported immediately, visual inspection of the entire system is conducted regularly and expert inspections are conducted by competent personnel.
In-House Personnel
An internal member of staff should be appointed to inspect the pallet racking and carry out spot checks between scheduled professional inspections, and a process to document these needs to be put in place and all records of them accurately retained on the premises.
Contact the team at Monarch Shelving for all your pallet racking, commercial shelving and warehouse storage equipment needs.
Almost all warehouse operations commit to their pallet racking systems. These systems are the backbone of their entire operations – and those who pay little to no attention to their industrial storage rack’s structural health are sure to soon witness some form of disaster.
Some business owners are reluctant to maintain their systems or even replace their racks when it has outlived their lifecycle or suffered some damage.
Everything has a lifecycle – and pallet racking is no exception. The recommended working lifespan for pallet racking varies depending on the manufacturer. Some of them have 20+ years whilst others have a full lifetime guarantee.
These numbers vary on how good or bad the structures have been treated over the years. The warranties also may depend on an agreement for the installer to regularly inspect the racks once a year.
Periodic scheduled maintenance and replacement of any damaged, old or at-risk components will make sure that your pallet racking stays in good working condition and provides a safe working environment for your workforce and warehouse visitors.
Some steps can be taken to make your racking system safer and long-lasting.
This can be installing rack end protectors to ensure the ends of the racks stay in good health. The last frame of a racking system is one of the most vulnerable and most exposed to the potential impact, which makes these measures highly recommended.
Installing upright protectors in busy environments helps to reduce damage to uprights whenever an accidental collision occurs.
The biggest thing you can implement is an awareness of structural integrity issues that can be reported by staff. This can relate to impact signs such as dents and component deformations, corrosion or peeling paints and loose nuts and bolts holding up the structure.
Other things staff can take notice of are broken connections to any components and baseplates no longer fixed to the ground or anchors sheared due to impact. Having your staff knowledgeable enough to inform you of any problems or concerns and having urgent action in fixing the problem is sure to save the company money in many areas – especially towards stock and system loss on top of a halt in operations should a collapse occur.
Contact the team at Monarch Shelving for all enquiries on warehouse storage solutions, from commercial shelving to pallet racking systems and be sure that your system meets the professional standard for safety and satisfaction.
Working within a warehouse can be an extremely hazardous job and many people do not realise those hazards until it is too late.
Whilst many of them may be obvious, some are quite surprising and build up over time. In a busy warehouse where many workers are rushing around to meet their daily quota, these are the top 3 warehouse hazards they need to be aware of at all times.
When you work with heavy equipment every single day within a warehouse environment, it can be very easy to forget just how dangerous this equipment can be.
Forklifts and loaders can still pose a potential hazard for employees and you should make sure that all employees are well aware of those dangers, including being cautious around the operation of forklifts and when they are operating and lifting stock around your pallet racking systems.
Regular training around your warehouse – especially in the case of a layout change – helps to keep your employees safe and operations to be undisturbed.
One of the most forgotten hazards that occurs within a busy warehouse comes in the form of trips and falls.
Although workers should not be working above your industrial storage racks, there can be incidents such as someone fixing or replacing warehouse lighting that will be above the racks and can fall to the floor. Ensuring that cheery picking equipment is used in these instances instead of permitting employees to scale the racking system is providing a safer and more sturdy avenue for people to work at height.
No employee should ever climb your warehouse storage equipment to do their job. Be sure to provide the safest possible equipment for them to work safely at all times.
Reports suggest that two workers a month are seriously injured or die from being crushed by falling stock that is stored incorrectly. This can be from the stock being stored on inadequate racking or items being overloaded on the units.
All of your aisles need to have adequate spacing and warning signs attached, allowing for each employee to realise the risks that are constant when working around pallet racks. Any structural damage to the racks from small to large incidents also needs to be reported and addressed to avoid even greater catastrophes in the workplace.
Falling stock is the number one warehouse killer of unfortunate workers who get seriously injured or worse.
Contact the team at Monarch Shelving today for all of your warehouse racking solutions.
When you are a growing business with booming sales volumes, one of the things that can be a downer is the decline of available space in your warehouse setting – especially around your pallet rack load capacity for stock.
The knock-on effect usually leads to a slow down in business and the ability to take orders, usually down to not wanting to spend more on solutions to accommodate the rise in demand. To avoid overloading your pallet racking system, posing potential damage to your warehouse and safety hazards to your staff, it is essential to take pre-emptive measures as early as possible.
The disastrous effects of overloading industrial storage racks typically are apparent after the problem has gone too far. The safety of your staff is the most important element of running a successful warehouse operation, and it becomes too easy to put that to the back of your thinking when it gets hectic.
Your staff work around bulky, large pallet racking equipment that has the risk of becoming weaker when constantly overloaded. To avoid the potential injuries to staff, evenly distribute your stock throughout the warehouse and look at the potential to extend your racking upwards. Safety inspections by a SEMA-approved professional should also be a regular operation to identify any risks posed in your system.
The second biggest risk is one of your equipment within a busy operating warehouse. Machinery such as forklifts may not be able to handle the excessive weights of what they have to carry.
Your warehouse may incur damage along the way from the effects of tumbling pallet racking systems carrying an exceptionally heavy load. Overloaded pallet racking could result in a fair share of human error and frequent accidents, such as dropping stock, machinery misuse and costs to the business that are more than what you are saving.
When a system is overloaded, your stock will see more and more signs of damage – if not being destroyed completely. More commonly, pallet racking systems in this climate will exceed the manufacturer’s recommended capacity and see the system crumble, sending all stock falling to the warehouse floor and becoming a loss.
Densely packed goods can also incur water damage or mould depending on the conditions they are stored within. To avoid replacing or removing unfit stock as well as the entire pallet racking system, pre-emptive action will avoid the problems and keep your warehouse operating as it should without loss.
If you are looking to upgrade your pallet racking, pallet rack load capacity, or add suitable warehouse storage equipment to improve your operations, contact the team at Monarch Shelving today.
Pallet racking systems or pallet rack shelving must be in perfect operating order within a hard-working and busy warehouse environment. Ensuring your worker’s safety and eliminating the risk of associated warehouse accidents is key to reducing product loss, time loss and potential lawsuits from those injured by the company’s negligence.
Raising safety standards within the workplace is key to boosting employee morale as well as saving money in the long term by decreasing remedial repairs required to your pallet racking structure.
Most pallet racking incidents occur from proven categories of forklift damage, overloading of the system, inadequate load clearance or poor installation.
Correct installation, regular inspections and preventative maintenance all play a huge hand in keeping your overall costs to a minimum. Most often, the damage is inflicted by impact from working equipment in the aisles – mostly forklifts and picking trucks. Uneven loading and overloading also are leading causes of damage.
Many insurance companies will make regular inspections a requirement to be carried out by competent pallet racking safety experts, so ensuring these are introduced from the beginning makes good business sense.
Professional installation is something that simply has to happen to prevent a full collapse in time, as well as the regular inspections on the installation. A professional warehouse storage equipment provider will ensure that all fixtures and fittings are done to compliant standards and provide guidance on the system’s operational and weight limitations – which need to be stuck to.
Once the system is installed, a pallet racking safety procedure and safety training programme for immediate reporting and actions around damaged areas of the structure needs to be instilled into your workforce.
After the installation of your warehouse pallet racking system is performed to the correct standard, you need to fit your warehouse with aisle markings, safe working loads signage, strict machinery speed limits and reasonable aisle space – with clear pedestrian space.
Some pallet racking accessories protect your racking system from being struck by forklifts and picking trucks. There are also other accessories to prevent stock items from falling from their shelving space. These can include frame protectors, column guards, rack end protectors, barriers and floor fixings.
Once you have had your system installed and these safety measures put in place, you will require an independent initial inspection from an expert to be carried out. This ensures that all problems are identified before they become costly incidents, and can be immediately rectified.
Contact the team at Monarch Shelving today for all pallet racking, pallet rack shelving, and commercial shelving requirements for your warehouse.
Industrial storage racks are the most common storage systems found in modern warehouses today. When considering the loading capacity of a pallet racking system, it comes down to various factors at play.
Pallet rack capacity is crucial to safety within your warehouse environment. Therefore, it is always essential to ensure that both frames and beams are designed to hold the required weight and avoid a catastrophic system collapse.
When calculating pallet racking capacity, there are several elements to take into consideration. The first element is around the load – or the pallet size, dimensions, contents and pallet type. Height, weight and depth are the keys to making the beams safe in loading, as each must be able to support the weight of your product.
If you were to have two pallet loads weighing 1500 lbs each, your racking system would need to be around 3000 lbs per pair of beams to support that load. Most beam capacities differ with each manufacturer, so it is important to refer to the manufacturer’s load capacity chart when selecting your system.
You will also need to determine the number of beam levels per bay, along with the beam spacing. If your warehouse has multiple bay configurations, you need to ensure that each will be evaluated. Capacity ratings for racking frames are based on a maximum unsupported span, so the further apart the beam spacing is, the less capacity the frame is rated to hold.
Several items impact the capacity ratings for frames and beams, such as the strength of the steel used to fabricate the racking components. Steel thickness will also play into the impact on capacity, and each manufacturer has different section properties that will affect rated capacities.
When having a storage system designed, you need to understand that certain aspects have been considered also – such as slab and soil conditions, seismic requirements and the potential for rack damage. Your racking will need to be compliant with safety codes and practices, and allow for staff training around them regularly.
There are also conditions where your racking may benefit from a vertical system able to stock towards the ceiling of your building, eliminating aisle overhang and combining aisle space for different size products. This helps to maximise your storage without adding considerable risk to your racking system integrity.
For more information about pallet racking, storage systems, and warehouse storage equipment, contact the team at Monarch Shelving today.
What is a pallet rack and what does it do? Pallet racking is a solution in organised vertical storage, saving you space in your warehouse and used for many different reasons.
Racking is used in many different types of environments, such as grocers, manufacturing, distribution, retail and many more. Due to having only so much room within a warehouse, to understand the correct amount of pallet racking you will require you will need to calculate how much room and how many pallets you are intending to store. This requires a specialist in pallet racking systems to be on hand to avoid you making any mistakes in your estimation.
A pallet rack system is quite simply a unit or bay of racking, and there are many types of racking to consider.
It can be teardrop, hook and slot, paltier, structural and many others with all specialists having different types. Choosing the right pallet rack frames is all about knowing your space measurements, starting with your ceiling heights. Because the frames dictate how high you can store your product, this is the first step to choosing the right kind of system.
It is called pallet racking for a reason and, usually, your products are arranged and stored on pallets – which then get stored on pallet racking.
Frame capacity can be tricky and the same questions need to be asked of your beams also. The larger the beam, the likelihood of sagging increases if you don’t have equal weight distribution. Evenly distributed loads are required and, should capacities not be met, the system has the potential to fail.
The taller the beam face, the higher the capacity the beam can support. Pallet racking systems can be designed with specific lengths with various beam sizes to support a variety of capacities.
Before selecting a pallet racking system, there are some additional considerations to face. The first is what your pallet racking budget is – buying a used racking system could be a huge risk if you do it just to save some money on your budget.
Also, what you are looking to store is a vital key – as it may stand to change over time. Certain areas such as the dimensions of your stock, the weight and if they require any specific requirements for storage, such as food or medical supplies would.
If you have any questions like, what is a pallet rack, what do they do, or if you would like to know anything regarding warehouse storage equipment, contact the team at Monarch Shelving today.
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