Most people install pallet racking to store goods, and then completely forget about it until something goes wrong. This is dangerous because pallet racking is considered work equipment. Like all work equipment, people are expecting you to keep it in a safe condition and to have it checked regularly. A fully loaded run coming down is not a minor incident. People get injured, and stock gets destroyed.
This is what you’re supposed to do, in simple terms.
Routine Inspections Conducted by Employees
This is the easiest part of the process. Somebody needs to visually check the pallet racking regularly. This involves looking for damaged uprights, bent pallet racking beams, safety clips that are missing, and any other damage caused by pallet racking being hit by a forklift. It is not necessary to hire an external company to do this. What is needed is somebody that knows how to inspect pallet racking and has the ability to put a system in place to log the inspections and report any issues found. Small looking damage to pallet racking can often be extremely dangerous and affect the racking system’s ability to carry load.
The expert inspection
In addition to internal inspections, best practices, and what the guidance recommends, state that an independent, competent, and thorough inspection should occur annually. A thorough inspector will classify damage, and advise what can remain for the time being, and what should be remedied and resolved right away; however, this damage should be monitored. If you have seen damage marked in the red, amber, or green, this is what you are seeing; red indicates that it should be remedied with the highest priority.
Load notices, and knowing your limits
The majority of rack failures stem from the fact that one or more individuals have placed more load on a beam than it was designed to hold because the load limit was unknown. A load notice should be present on every racking system to show the load limit. If a load notice is not present, or if you inherited the rack system from the previous owners of the building with no knowledge about the system or the loading limits, a load survey should be conducted to ensure safe operation of the rack system.
Who’s responsible
The responsibility falls on the owner/operator. Once the system is in place and is being loaded, it is your responsibility to ensure safety. It may seem like a significant burden; however, the reality is that it is a yearly expert inspection, repair of any damage, and posting load notices. All of these tasks are simple; this is generally not conducted because it becomes a significant responsibility to no one.
We can inspect your racking system and put load notices on systems that don’t have them. See our pallet racking page for more info.