We have many great articles on how to choose the right type of industrial racking for your application, but once you have gone through the process of selecting and designing your new rack, take the next step and protect your investment. The main dangers to your investment will come from two categories: acts of nature (fire, earthquakes, etc) and operator incidents. Here are five simple ways you can protect your warehouse pallet rack.

1. End of row guards

These heavy-duty angle guards bolt to the ground and absorb the shock of a forklift impact to protect the end of your rack from collision. This guarding can take the form of angle steel or high-impact plastic for the added benefit of deformation resistance.

2. Upright protectors

Similar to end of row guards, these are individual steel or plastic guards added to each upright, protecting the rack by providing a barrier to absorb collisions instead of transmitting the impact shock to the rack. They also serve to warn forklift operators that they have reached the back of the rack.

3. Flue space labels, flue space keepers and pallet stops

These options may be required by your High Pile Storage Permit as ways to ensure that flue spaces are properly kept in case of fire. Each ensures that water from the sprinklers will be able to penetrate fully through the rack, either by informing operators were to leave space (labels) or by physically blocking to keep the flue spaces clear (pallet stops and flue space keepers).

4. Do not overload

Not overloading your pallet rack requires knowing what the pallet rack was designed to handle. Make sure you know what kind of seismic zone you are in, and have your rack designed for your location and configuration(s). Have signs posted with the maximum height and weight loading for your rack and make sure your operators follow it.

5. SLOW DOWN

This is by far the simplest thing that can be done to protect all of your warehouse investments, from the people you employ, to the rack, to the products you put into the rack. Less momentum will cause less damage and keeps your employees safe.

Your warehouse racking and the product it holds are vital to your business. Why not protect your investment while making your warehouse safer? We have all the products and knowledge necessary to help you make the best choices when protecting your employees and your investment. Contact us to find out more about warehouse pallet racking safety.

Author: Gina Labou