Your pallet racking system should be designed for optimal efficiency. With the right set-up, your employees can quickly pull and organise the products that you warehouse with little risk, minimal manoeuvring and few obstacles. Whether you have new or used pallet racking, routine inspections and ongoing maintenance are critical for preserving high levels of productivity and keeping everyone safe. One of the most important parts of ensuring safety in the workplace, however, is having a solid prevention plan for falling items.
Proper Loading Of Pallets
Falling item prevention must be a multi-pronged effort. The very first line of defense is a well-designed pallet racking system. If you have opted to invest in new or used pallet racks, it is important to ensure that all system components are in line with the demands of your company and that this system is in top condition and well put together. The best method of doing this is by having your supplier either complete the set-up and installation process for you or dispatch a trained inspector to ensure that the results are on par with both industry regulations and the nature of your operations.
Beyond making sure that the racking system itself is good, however, proper pallet loading is key. Not even a top-tier pallet racking system is guaranteed to remain incident-free when substandard loading techniques are used. Thus, every business should regularly invest in safety training and specialised training for any new loading and lift equipment before using a modified racking system or modified loading methods. Proper training will minimise risk, show insurance companies that managers are taking a proactive stance on limiting workforce injuries and can potentially reduce insurance premiums over time.
Load Bearing Inspections
Items can fall due to poor loading strategies and an inefficient or unsafe racking system setup. These problems can also occur when load bearing limits are not adhered to and proper weight balancing techniques are not used. If racks are over-weighted at the top and under-weighted at the bottom, the results can be catastrophic. When annual pallet racking inspections are performed, a company-wide review of the load-bearing capabilities for each tier of the system should be performed. This will allow for the balanced and proper distribution of goods across all levels of the racking system.
Systems To Arrest Falling Objects
Although there are several steps that companies can take to prevent items from falling from pallet racking systems, these accidents may be inevitable in some environments. Collisions with racking systems can lead to balancing issues that cause heavy items to fall from great heights. Thus, all companies that are using pallet racking systems should consider the benefits of investing in a specialised system for arresting falling objects. When boxes, pallets or other items are knocked out of position, this system will prevent them from coming in contact with workers, floor surfaces and equipment.
Having a system to arrest falling objects could be essential for avoiding fatalities and significant property loss. Moreover, companies with towering pallet racking systems will find that systems for arresting falling objects are required by Australian workplace safety laws due to the nature of their storage set-ups. When this is the case, affordable solutions for arresting falling objects can often be found through the very suppliers that offer used pallet racking systems.
