With the holidays steadily drawing closer, more kids (and a few grown-ups) are already dreaming about the presents they’ll receive. Warehouse managers are having dreams of their own, albeit of a different kind.

With more SKUs being shipped for the holidays, warehouses find themselves trialling different optimization methods. To optimize for capacity, they install mezzanines, increase density in storage areas, increase in the amount of storage media used etc. While these can optimize existing space, they also brings an increased level of risk also.

Just go to YouTube, and you’ll find videos of racking collapses from Russia to Africa. Despite this geographical disparity, racking collapse follows the same pattern. Moving equipment, usually a forklift, crashes into one pallet rack and it topples over. The domino effect that follows makes viewers laugh but the cost of destruction is no joking matter.

These accidents are often blamed on the driver’s poor choice of race venue and less on the condition of the racking. But an insurance report revealed that in many collapse cases, the racking was no longer fit for purpose, it only took a bump to show this. To avoid these ‘ticking time bombs’, the HSE recommends that all businesses get a SARI (SEMA-approved rack inspector) to help with installation, maintenance and repair of its racking. Faced with this request, some managers decline, not realising just how expensive a collapse can be.

Some common effects include:

• Severly injured employees, maybe fatally injured.
• Thousands of damaged SKUs that must be replaced.
• With more companies running a Just-In-Time model, a racking collapse means crucial components are not delivered when they are needed on the assembly line.

Faced with these avoidable expenses, why do managers still fail to fix damaged racking? It’s a problem of ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ When a forklift bumps a rack beam, as long as the support doesn’t bend visibly, the collision is often considered ‘minor.’ But any damage to pallet racking reduces its load carrying capacity, and as the structure stays in use, it becomes weaker over time.

In an ideal world, everyone would get a SEMA Approved Rack Inspector, like the HSE advised. But because most businesses haven’t experienced a collapse, racking inspection is often seen as a ‘non-essential’ expense.

At Monarch Limited, we advise customers to periodically get a professional rack inspection to ensure they’re not at risk of collapse. For those that would rather DIY, the following are our tips for examining your pallet racking:-

The first step is to gather as much data as possible about the existing structure, this is usually found in a materials logbook. Knowing this has two functions:

1.       It shows where, if any, a business has done any DIY on the racking.

2.       It also shows which sections of the structure are made up of parts from different manufacturers.

With this data in hand, start with:

• A visual inspection of the structure that examines it up and down, not just concentrating on the base.
• Next, stand at the ends of aisles and look down the length of the columns. Keep an eye out for any columns that lean in.
• Next, walk down the aisle to check for damage to individual components, protectors, footplate, safety locks etc.

This laymans inspection must be carried out made at weekly or other regular intervals. Always keep a record of all inspections, damage and repairs in a logbook.

Warehouses shouldn’t wait for a serious incident before an inspection or overhaul is carried out. For warehouses where racking is likely to be struck by lift trucks, they can protect their racking with fixed column protectors or renewable column guards. Employees must also be trained to report any damage as soon as it is observed.

If you think all this is overkill, just remember that racks don’t fail in one ‘spectacular’ YouTube moment.

At Monarch Limited, we advise customers to get a SEMA-approved inspection annually. As a leading supplier of warehouse storage equipment and accessories, we’ve seen the effects of a racking collapse and how it affects businesses. For more details on how our pallet racking can help your business, contact us today.