When it comes to warehouse storage, pallet racks provide the best, easy-to-maintain solution. They are a common way to store palletized goods in the world, and they are used in most warehouses, manufacturing facilities, commercial operations and even retail stores. Whether you are dealing with selective, push-back, push-in or other types of racks, the problems are usually similar.
1) Don't climb on the pallet rack
Every one of us will be busy from time to time (especially in a chaotic environment in the warehouse). To save time, people sometimes climb up the pallet rack to take orders or do other things. Although a busy picker may pick up a needed box to attract people when climbing on the floor pallet, this is extremely dangerous. Shelves are not designed for climbing; their planks may break, nails protrude, and stinging fractures may yield or pierce a hand under a person's weight to hold it.
2) Don't overload
Knowing the capacity of the pallet rack before loading is essential to ensure worker safety. For example, if your pallet is not designed for heavy objects, then collapse is inevitable. Make sure that your rack can support your load, especially at higher levels (if you don't see the weight on the rack, check the manufacturer's specifications). Better yet, store heavy goods on the lower bracket or floor. Organize the storage space so that in the case of mixed loads, light pallets are placed in the high rack and heavier pallets are placed in a lower place.
3) Avoid damage to the pallet rack
Preventing and reducing pallet rack damage includes training forklift drivers in the correct driving and loading procedures, limiting the forklift speed, keeping the warehouse tidy, widening the aisles, conducting regular shelf inspections, and ensuring that the beam clamps have been fixed. The environment of the rack should also be considered.
4) Don't ignore the ratio of height to depth
When designing pallet racks, people tend to pay attention to easy-to-use components (the capacity of beams, the capacity of a pair of beams, etc.) to ensure a safe and reliable rack system. But there is another factor that many people don't understand but often overlook: the ratio of height to depth.
The Rack Manufacturers Association (RMI) defines the height-to-depth ratio of a row of racks as "the ratio of the distance from the floor to the top beam to the depth of the rack"-the ratio cannot exceed 6 to 1.
5) Avoid incorrect or unsafe rack loading
The load of the pallet rack is not only the structural weight. When goods are placed on storage shelves, their size, shape, and size/density are essential for safe and effective warehouse storage. In order to avoid incorrect or unsafe rack loading, it is important to consider not only the weight, but also what type of load is placed on the wire platform, how it is placed, and how it affects the capacity.
