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July 5th, 2006 Can You Count On Your Storage Racks? Without “rackings” or steel storage rack systems many food distribution warehouses would cease to be. Think about it, what other item in your warehouse silently contributes as much to your day to day operations as your racking system does? Racking systems can range from the simple to the extremely complex, and are often made up of numerous elements, each piece performing a specific task. Assembling these components in their correct positions creates a structure well capable of holding up thousands of pounds of your goods. However, if one of these elements were to be damaged, as a result of careless forklift bumps or stress due to extreme physical limits the safety factor of this remarkably strong structure decreases. And when that same safety factor is reduced to past a certain point a collapse will often occur. Thus, causing an avalanche of products that could be catastrophic to your warehouse inventory investment. Storage rack systems also have the potential to cause serious injury and even death. Disappointedly, collapses of storage racks do occur, and not always infrequently. No matter how well trained or efficient your forklift drivers may be, damage to your racking system will eventually occur. But through careful design, professional installation, and regular inspections, you can reduce the risks of accidents and lower your repair bills.
This could happen to you! In warehouse operations, it is often painfully obvious that aisle widths are too tight/narrow. The clues are there for any one to spot: bottom beam levels showing scuff marks where the fork trucks overhead guard catches the beam as the driver turns the truck, dents on storage racks uprights where the fork truck chassis catch the beam as it turns, and so on. In determining reasonable operating clearances, the density and speed of traffic in the warehouse should be taken into consideration, especially in a high throughput operation such as a general groceries or full line distributor. Damaged pallets should NEVER be placed in a rack structure. A damaged pallet, particularly where heavy or bulky goods are stored, could easily cause a complete collapse. As a pallet collapses, forces are exerted on the beams causing beam failure and possibly the collapse of other beam levels and the failure of uprights. Poor housekeeping is another one of the most significant contributions to accidents. Pallets stored in rack aisles and transfer aisles are an obvious hazard. Many collisions between trucks and uprights are caused by fork lift drivers attempting to navigate their way past such obstructions. In addition to the problems they cause to trucks, materials such as broken pallet pieces, shrink wrap materials, etc all are trip hazards to picking and packing pedestrians.
Furthermore, the thousands of pounds loaded onto racking shelves at heights of 30 feet or more hold a potentially destructive energy which, if unleashed by racking collapses, can cause tremendous damage to goods, equipment, and personnel. Significant expenses (repair to rackings, OSHA fines, damaged goods, worker’s compensation, and insurance premiums) not to mention moral anguish, can all be avoided if rackings are inspected regularly in house and at least twice a year by independent specialists. DON’T TAKE CHANCES WHEN IT COMES TO THE LIFE OF YOUR EMPLOYEES AND YOUR PRODUCTS! To Unsubscribe
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