Whatever your business or product, if you use pallet racking or are planning on doing so, you need to get what’s best for your warehouse. Here at Monarch, we have put together a list of handy tips to make the most out of your pallet racking investments, and how to keep your workers as safe as possible.
1. Invest in protection heavy duty barriers
Your pallets could be holding valuable items, and accidents do happen. Forklifts can knock into shelves, causing items to break and can weaken the rack over time. This risk can be heavily reduced, however, by investing in protection heavy duty barriers. By fitting into the ends of the racks, these keep the racks more sturdy and secure and prevent damaging of items.
2. Timber Decking
Though they can’t be transported without a pallet underneath, timber decking is a great option for smaller items that need temporary storage, or if you only use pallets for general storage and not transport. It is also an effective time saving method if you need to attach goods to a pallet before storing them.
3. Install a camera system
There are many benefits to having a camera system installed onto the forks. Drivers can get a good look at what is on the pallets before transporting anything, and you can also get a good view of what goods are where and if there’s any space to add anything new.
It is also an effective way to reduce paperwork as you don’t need to take note each time you add or remove something from the rack, the camera will do the work for you.
From a health and safety aspect, cameras can also prevent staff who like to climb as a way to check stock.
4. Reduce climbing hazards
Your staff should be fully trained in health and safety in the warehouse, so climbing should be kept to a minimum. There are a few alternatives to climbing the racks, one of which being camera systems as mentioned before.
One option is to invest in rolling stair ladders to help reach most pallets, though it may only go up to a certain height. There also may be the issue of where to store the ladders, but if you have the space then it’s certainly a worthy investment.
Another is to add netting or guarding to areas which won’t affect the transportation of the pallets. This presents a “no entry” zone for the workers.
5. Buy second hand
There is nothing wrong with saving money and investing in second hand racks and shelving units, but what does matter is where you get it. You should be purchasing anything second hand from an experienced seller who can provide you with the correct advice as to what you will need, and you can guarantee your purchase to be in good condition. Why not contact us for advice and see what second hand racking we can offer you?
6. Storage efficiency
It is important to remember that the space of your pallet is bigger than the space you have for the items. Keep this in mind when organising your goods to get the most from the space you have available. Make sure you calculate the area of the items minus the measurements of the pallets they will be stored on.
7. Be aware of weight
Though it’s common sense, it’s just as common for someone to mistakenly stock the rack “top heavy”. Make sure that all heavy duty items are near the bottom and that the items get lighter as you make your way to the top of the rack.
To make the best use of your warehouse, talk to the experts at Monarch Shelving.
