Over 230,000 people in New Zealand get injured at work every year. The healthy and safety of your warehouse workers are critical to the success of your business. One of the things you should pay close attention to is the safety of your pallet racking systems. Here are some tips to guarantee it.
1. Install your pallet racking correctly
The safety of your pallet racking system starts at the beginning — when you install it. Start by ensuring the ground is even and strong enough to hold the beams and the eventual load. Make sure all the components of your system are put in properly. These include the beams, braces, pallets and frames.
If components are missing, then the safety of your entire pallet racking system is compromised. It may collapse when you least expect it.
2. Always label your pallets
Different pallet racking systems have different load-bearing capacities. You need to verify the capacity of each system and label them accordingly. Pallet racking systems will remain strong and have integrity so long as you do not exceed the weight they are designed to accommodate.
Labelling each system helps workers know how many items they can place and how to position each one on the pallet. Whatever you use for labelling should be visible and durable. If the label gets lost for any reason, create replacements as soon as possible.
Some racking systems may withstand overloading without collapsing. But their structural integrity will be compromised. That damage may cause items to fall through or the entire system to break apart and harm your workers in the future.
3. Put in place preventative measures to reduce accidents and damage
Forklifts are common in warehouses. But they can cause plenty of damage if they bump into the pallet racking systems repetitively. You should put in some preventative measures to reduce the rate of accidents and damage.
Use safety clips to keep the beam from being dislodged. Utilise column protectors to prevent damage to the frame columns when forklifts are being used. Also, strategically place reinforced guardrails and highly-visible bollard posts to reduce the incidence of forklift operators bumping into the corner posts.
Whenever there is an accident that includes collision between forklifts and pallet racking systems, have an inspection done as soon as possible. Look out for dents and twists, missing nuts and bolts and loose footings. Then, have those problems fixed because they compromise the safety of the people working in the warehouse.
4. Enhance safety for workers
Ensure to place items on the racking system securely to avoid them falling onto the workers below. Install wire rack guards or safety netting around the rack systems where people walk around. That way, if something falls, it is less likely to injure the workers on the ground.
The aisles should be clear to enable forklift operators to move around without colliding into racks or workers. Also, make sure your workers are not overworked and have enough sleep. That way, they can work with clarity and avoid being negligent.
Take care of your workers by implementing pallet racking safety, and their productivity will go up. You will also have no lawsuits to worry about.
