What's the best way of tracking Pallet Racking Damage monthly?

In high-risk environments such as Industrial spaces, it is of paramount importance that storage equipment is assessed and tracked regularly to ensure the safety of your warehouse, as well as maximising the efficiency of your operations.

Consistent tracking damage minimises potentially catastrophic accidents occurring in your warehouse. ‘Prevention is better than cure’ is certainly true in cases of pallet rack damage, and tracking your pallet racking conditions monthly allows for peace of mind that your equipment is safe for use.

The financial cost of replacing shelving units, ultimately, is much less than attempting to financially recovering from major accidents caused by pallet rack collapses; so regularly identifying, reporting and replacing damaged pallet racking is essential.

Identifying Pallet Rack Damage

There are many ways a pallet rack can be damaged, and damage to racks weakens the system and can pose serious issues of hazards.

One of the most common damage to small part storage occurs when staff overload shelves. Damage caused by overloaded shelves can result in the collapse of your storage system as the structure is unable to bear the weight as the capacity has been overlooked. But that does not mean to say it stops there. Over time, shelving within your warehouse can deteriorate, become outdated or suffer damage from forklifts and other machinery used regularly within your Industrial space.

Regular and planed inspections are required to identify the extent of any racking damage, and how this may be redeemed. Ensuring that your team are safeguarded, by installing a good quality racking system offered by DC Space & Storage Solutions, as well as regular staff training on assessing and reporting pallet rack damage, is the key to an efficient warehouse.

Annual SARI Inspections

SARI, or SEMA Approved Racking Inspector, is the SEMA Approved Inspector Qualification and is aimed at those that carry out inspections of storage equipment as a significant part of their duty.

DC Space & Storage Solutions is a SEMA Approved Installation Company, and this SAIC accreditation illustrates that DC Space & Storage Solutions is dedicated to continuous improvement within its installation business and committed to delivering the best-in-class service to our customers.

Depending on the type of racking, inspections must be carried out accordingly and often. The Health and Safety (HSE) state that a ‘technically competent’ person should be carrying out independent racking inspections, at intervals no longer than 12 months. However, that does not mean that waiting 12 months to check for potential pallet racking damage is recommended. Ultimately, keeping on track of this monthly means that you can come to us with the part of the racking that is damaged, and we can replace it quickly and efficiently.

Priority levels and Damage Classification

Replacing shelving too soon, when it may not be necessary to do so, is not a wise use of your financial resources. In saying that, damage classifications can be used on compromised pallet racking to assess the priority level of replacing it.

A green damage classification represents a low priority level, and this the case when the severity of the condition is minor. If the severity of the damage is moderate, this is known as an amber damage classification and the priority level is medium. At the other end of the scale, a red damage classification, or Level 3 rack damage, should be of high priority levels, as the severity of the damage is extremely high. In cases where the severity of the damage is high depending on this classification, immediate unloading of the rack is required. Equally, in cases where the damage classification highlights it as low priority level, reports must be made, and subsequent inspections should watch carefully for further damage to the rack. Additionally, any location that is deemed a high priority, with the damage classification as severe, should be locked out to ensure that the damaged rack is no longer supporting any loads – ultimately avoiding the potential of pallet collapse.

The methods used to label the priority levels and damage classification is up to you, but it is essential to ensure that affected areas are investigated thoroughly, and the repair or replacing of these racks should be an utmost priority.

Emphasising the significance of regular rack inspections in your warehouse creates an important safety culture, and encouraging all workers to report any damage they come across is a significant element in creating this safety culture. In cases where reports are made, responding quickly and effectively to the damage makes all the difference to the operations within your warehouse.

Contact Us Today

The team at DC Space & Storage Solutions are happy to answer any questions you may have on Pallet Racking damage within your storage space, or more generally, any questions on the perfect storage solution for you.

DC Space & Storage Solutions have an array of accreditations that highlight our priority of safety within your warehouse. Our ISO45001 accreditation, the world’s international standard for occupational health and safety, is designed to prevent work-related injury by ensuring safe and healthy workplaces – including assessing pallet rack damage within your storage space.

Our accreditations ensure that we are providing our customers with a top service – with safety and satisfaction guaranteed. Contact us today to find out more about our bespoke, end-to-end service on 01392 927096, or email us at sales@dcdirect.co.uk.