Preventing the Pallet Racking Collapse

The thought of having a full warehouse pallet rack collapse can be worrying, but the reality of it actually happening is horrifying and can result in devastating consequences.

It’s not just stock that is destroyed, but company equipment, productivity and in the worst-case scenario – death.

Naturally, that is the one thing you and your business does not want in any incident. The majority of pallet racking collapse incidents occur as a result of poor installation, overstock or poor quality racking. If these were caused due to cutting corners or costs, then you stand to be paying out way more than you ever would have wished to should everything go south, literally.

Many Risks

In truth, there are a great number of risks that a pallet racking collapse can provide, including to company time and reputation.

For starters, there is damage to stock which is majorly costly on its own. This will obviously need to be replaced which will cost plenty, but your manufacturing or orders will be held up due to the obstruction and unavailability which is going to cost a lot in loss during the period.

This is before we factor in any injuries to staff or visitors who may have fell victim to the collapse. Needless to say is severe in terms of not just compensation for injured workers, but larger for fatalities to families. Then there will also be fines if evidence of unsafe working environments is found from an investigation, leading to prosecution and the total eradication of your company standing, meaning your business may close as a result of stained reputation.

Naturally, this installs a need to make sure your pallet racking meets regulations and safety requirements. Accidents can happen from a number of sources though, so you should be aware of certain incidents that can occur and take precautions.

Prime Causes

Among the chief reasons for a pallet racking collapse is the unfortunate forklift truck collision.

As they operate chiefly around the racking areas, collisions become quite commonplace so it is best to ensure that adequate spacing is provided. Aisle space is the key for successful manoeuvres in the warehouse and reducing impact with racking substantially. There is after all a minimum aisle space guideline to follow, so make sure that it is adhered to at all times in all instances. You can also enable more safety measures in making sure that you install rack protection on end frames and corner columns, strengthening them with steel bolted reinforcement.

Overloading is your other main concern and it happens more often than you probably realise. Structural integrity is left wide open for risk by putting more on racking or adding a product that is more than it can realistically handle. Weight restrictions are not optional, and instability leading to an eventual collapse is a certainty.

For more information on warehouse storage equipment, talk to the professionals at Monarch Shelving for the best solutions to prevent warehouse pallet rack collapse and commercial shelving.