In the event of a pallet racking system collapse, it causes hundreds and thousands of pounds worth of loss and damage to stock, grinding the business to a full stop and potentially causing serious injury to staff and anybody present when the incident occurs.

In the majority of cases, pallet-racking incidents of this nature are fully preventable. It tends to happen due to a combination of bad practices, poor quality or maintenance of the system or improper training being given to staff.

As mentioned, it is preventable from ever happening for the most part. The risks and causes – and the measures implemented to prevent it from happening – are worth looking into now before it is too late.

The Risks

As well as the most serious aspect – the risk to life – pallet racking collapse poses many other risks to businesses and operatives.

As well as severe injury caused by a collapse, the only instance that could be worse is a death caused by the incident. That is one of the worst scenarios to play out because of negligence with your industrial storage racks. Secondary but no less serious is the fines that you will incur. Under PUWER (Provision of Work Equipment Regulations), a failure to keep working equipment in safe and working order will result in large fines and potential prosecution from HSE.

Stock will almost certainly be a complete write-off as a result of a racking collapse, leaving your reputation with your client tarnished. In addition to the time taken to clear the debris and start a full clean-up operation, HSE may launch an investigation into the collapse which could halt operations further – resulting in customer orders not being fulfilled and contracts lost because of the negative impact caused by your negligence.

The Causes

Collision from forklift operators is one of the most common causes of pallet racking collapse. It happens when improper training with the drivers is obvious. Everyone has seen the famous video of a careless forklift operator causing an entire bay to crumble to the ground from clipping the racking when carrying a wide pallet through.

When a racking system is overloaded beyond its limit, there is a very good chance that a collapse is imminent. Additionally, overloading racking systems are more prone to structural damage and collapse caused by collisions when they get struck.

Even with the best safety measures in place, a racking system can collapse as a result of negligence by your staff. Cutting back on safety training can be very costly. Every staff member should know when to report a collision or something that looks like it has been compromised.

If you are responsible for the maintenance of your pallet racking within your business, you need to ensure it is well-maintained and compliant. Contact the team at Monarch Shelving today to ensure that your warehouse storage equipment is perfectly protected for your business operations.