Pallet rack failure is a significant contributor to warehouse accidents and injuries.

Failure comes from many sources, including overloaded racks, altered rack configurations, and faulty equipment. However, the largest cause of pallet racking failure is damage from a forklift. In fact, some reports indicate that up to 90% of failures are directly linked to forklift collisions.

The thing is, forklift collisions are almost inevitable.

With forklifts zooming around your facility, collisions are bound to happen, but that doesn’t mean your warehouse is doomed to suffer a collapse. Instead, you can prevent catastrophe by founding a strong warehouse racking inspection program.

Read on to learn why pallet racking safety matters and what you can do to start your own inspection program.

Why Does Pallet Racking Safety Matter?

Maintaining safe pallet racking comes with a few key benefits.

• Fewer accidents. Well-maintained pallet racks are less prone to collapse. This means fewer accidents in your warehouse.
• Lower costs. Racking collapse poses a risk to your team and your assets. A collapsing rack can cause serious and expensive injuries to your team. Likewise, products stored on those racks will likely become damaged if not completely destroyed.
• OSHA compliance. OSHA requires you to maintain safe pallet racking. Safe, undamaged racking complies with OSHA regulations, saving you from costly violations.
• Improved efficiency. Well-maintained racks work with your operation instead of against it, improving worker efficiency.
• Better morale. Workers are happier when they feel safe. Knowing that racking is stable and not likely to collapse improves employee job satisfaction.

Pallet racking may not always be at the top of your mind, but it is a foundational thing that can make or break a warehouse.

How Do You Start a Pallet Rack Inspection Program?

A strong pallet rack inspection program ensures your racking remains safe and in working order.

Start With Monthly Racking Inspections

Unsurprisingly, a strong pallet rack inspection program starts with—you guessed it—inspections.

Create a dedicated team to inspect your pallet racking monthly. Treat these inspections like preventative maintenance for your warehouse. The inspectors should look for damage before it becomes hazardous. 

They should examine every rack for things like:

• dents
• cracks
• corrosion
• broken welds 
• loose anchors
• missing braces 
• correct load capacity labels

Approaching monthly inspections like preventative maintenance will keep your team vigilant for issues before they jeopardize your facility.

Contract Out for Annual Audits

It's human nature to become blind to what we see daily.

Consequently, it’s natural for monthly inspections to miss some damage. A third-party inspector can rectify this oversight. Because this outside inspector is not as familiar with your facility as your in-house inspection team, they’ll notice things that your team may have missed. Have a third-party inspector audit your racks at least once per year.

Moreover, outside inspectors are specially trained to handle racking inspections. They can do a deeper analysis of your pallet racks, finding issues that would be otherwise hidden. To get started, check out our racking service and repair programs.

A quality inspector can also recalculate weight limits and ensure your racks remain within OSHA standards.

Conduct Necessary Repairs

Once damage is identified, the next step is to fix it.

Whether it's a bent beam or a missing anchor, pallet rack safety demands repair of these issues as soon as feasible. Remember that a damaged pallet rack is dangerous, putting you, your workers, and your products at risk of injury, damage, or even destruction.

Make pallet rack repairs a top priority.

Build on Existing Warehouse Safety Training

All warehouses conduct employee safety training, but pallet racking safety often gets short-changed.

However, a strong racking inspection program benefits from training the people who interact with that racking every day. Understanding the fundamentals of rack structure and the dangers associated with rack damage and overloading helps your staff remain vigilant to the racking issues. This improves safety and surveillance while protecting everyone from an expensive collapse or injury. To get started, download our free pallet racking ebook.Racking inspections work best when the whole team knows what to look for.

Install Racking Protection

Even with pallet racking, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Install rack guards to protect your racks from damage, such as forklift impacts. These include guard rails, end-of-aisle guards, upright protectors, and snap-on frame protectors. Guards are like football pads for your racks. They absorb impacts that might otherwise damage your racking.

Rack guards prevent expensive repairs and are less costly to replace.

Your Pallet Racking Safety Partner

Pallet racking is such a ubiquitous part of warehousing that sometimes it can be hard to see the trees for the forest.

That's where we can help. Our expert team has the training to conduct a deep audit of your existing racking. We can reveal areas of hidden damage and recommend what equipment will help you avoid damage in the future. With over 100 years of industry experience, we have the know-how to keep your racking safe.

To learn more about pallet racking safety or to schedule an audit, contact us online or visit one of our locations:

Arkansas - Jonesboro
Alabama - Birmingham, Dothan, Irondale, Madison, Mobile, and Montgomery
Mississippi - Belden, Tupelo, and Richland
Tennessee - Jackson, Memphis, Knoxville, and Kingsport

Further Reading
Transform Clutter Into Profit: A Complete Guide to Pallet Racking Solutions
Used Pallet Racking: Is It Worth the Risk?
Pallet Rack Safety: Protect Your Employees and Investment