Signs of Impending Pallet Racking Instability

When having pallet racking installed in your work complex you expect them to last many years without ever needing warehouse racking maintenance.

However, many kinds of incidents can lead to a weakening in your pallet racking, which then opens up the very real possibility of failure and impending collapse. This results in a destroyed product, facility damage, a full stop to workflow and, god forbid, the injury or killing of members of your workforce. Either scenario, it’s going to be the most costly blow to your business and nobody wants it to happen.

To this end, the need to keep an eye on the racking and the warning signs present are of paramount importance. Some things are very obvious to the eye; such as rust on the beams or bent uprights. Others can be more tricky to spot.

The Less Obvious

Depending on the racking’s overall condition, some of the least obvious can be mistaken as not being such a big deal on the first inspection, but they are gateway problems to the total collapse and should be treated as such.

For starters, you may see that one or more anchor bolts stick up from the footplate. This is a highlight of the rack being off-balance or having suffered a considerable impact. This will require the racking to be rebalanced and the bolts to be replaced. If your workers have complaints about the racking experiencing a swaying, then your safety braces are in the process of failing. This will require an inspection and the replacement of any damaged braces. If the rack does not have braces installed then some must be installed.

When you see flaking paint or tarnish on your beams, you could be facing either too much pressure on that particular segment or exposure to elemental damage. Regardless of how it has come to be, it will need to be replaced.

Other Considerations

There are other less apparent considerations that your pallet rack is weakening and therefore requires warehouse racking maintenance. For example, if the wood on your shelving looks noticeably paler then it is becoming brittle and requires replacing the shelf to prevent it cracking. It is also the same with wooden pallets.

When you notice that a steel joint is beginning to fold, this is extremely bad and needs addressing straight away. Naturally, the product will need to be removed quickly and the segment of the rack replaced.

Replacing your pallet racking and industrial storage racks on any of these occurrences or warning signs will be the smartest move to completely avoid fatality to workers and operations. Contact the team at Monarch Shelving for the most reliable warehouse storage equipment available.