Pallet Racking

RACK INSPECTORS’ MOST RECENT REPORTED DAMAGES

Pallet Racking, Rack Safety /

Greetings from Barpro’s certified Rack Inspector (SARI). My year of inspections has flown by, and we are on the doorstep of 2024. I want to wish all our customers a peaceful and Merry Christmas. I want to show you some pictures of all the types of damage I picked up during my travels. Many, or should I say all of them, were in plain sight for anyone walking or driving down an aisle. Are we so set in our ways that we think we can still load on top of these damaged parts, or is it a case of ‘’we don’t know’? The funny thing is that any of these damaged parts can cause a major collapse or even loss of life. We often don’t realize the full extent of the damage. We should not turn a blind eye to the potential dangers of the damage. Even our maintenance departments, Rack installers, or Rack manufacturers can cause these problems. The following photographs may make your hair stand up, but these damages are real. Image 1: Maintenance department – Never weld on a upright Image 2 & 3:  Reach truck driver – Bent beam Image 4: Different manufacturers’ beams used to fix racking. The connector is not fixed properly missing 1 louvre Image 5 & 6: Reach truck driver – Racking loaded while the Upright is damaged Image 7: Maintenance Department – Cutting Upright to fit PVC pipe Image 8:  Seasonal drivers causing damage Image 9: Pallets loaded into damaged racking Image 10: Maintenance Department – Misalignment of beams Image 11: Installers climbing structures. The brace has been damaged Contact us to assist you in training your team on Rack Safety and conducting a Rack Inspection.

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DISCOVERIES OF BARPRO’S RACK INSPECTOR DURING INSPECTIONS

Pallet Racking, Repairs and Maintenance, Safety /

Top pallet racking faults – Maintenance & Safety Henceforth our newsletter will feature racking faults discovered by Barpro’s Rack Inspector on his travels throughout Southern Africa. The aim is to promote greater awareness and safety amongst our subscribers. This month we are highlighting the consequences of improper maintenance of racking structures. FAULT A rack inspection was conducted within a freezer store recently and our Inspector came across a frame that was cut. It could either have been cut during or after installation. There was still a load on top of the rack. CONSEQUENCES This type of action may shorten the longevity of the racking superstructure or even worse cause a rack collapse. It illustrates the importance of having a firm grasp on the racking system in use.  This enables you to identify the necessary remedial action. This should include a rack safety training course (such as the one we offer) which will teach all operators from the forklift drivers through to management and maintenance about the safety of the structure. Your staff will then be equipped to safely utilise racking systems. RECOMMENDATION This issue poses a substantial risk and warrants immediate intervention. In these circumstances the racks must be offloaded immediately and demarcated to prevent any further damage to the racking structures. It is important that everyone from the forklift operators, warehouse staff and management are taught about the maintenance and safety of the racking structure. Such training is of the utmost importance as it reduces the risk of serious injury or loss of life and prevents operations from being compromised. For more information on Rack safety training and inspections please contact Barpro’s Rack Inspector.

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5 biggest problems discovered during Rack Inspections

Pallet Racking /

Response from Barpro’s  SARI, Barri Malherbe when asked to list the 5 biggest problems he encountered during recent rack inspections. SEMA prescribes 75mm or 100mm clearance between pallet and rack uprights depending on the height. A significant percentage of operators of MHE (materials handling equipment) leave no clearance here. Damage then occurs on removal of pallets and when the driver turns out to early, causing damages to the upright or bracing. You can see this as braces just above beam levels are damaged. MHE operators are a key factor when it comes to rack damage – especially when placing and retrieving pallets. Their forks aren’t always at the right angle especially higher locations and the rear beams are often damaged or even dislodged(if the gravity pins are not in position). These beams then collapse, possibly hours or days later. Another point of concern are the pallets that are utilized in the warehouses. Although Chep, Euro and similar pallet designs are used, there are export or shipping pallets which are simply no good for long-term   storage.     These pallets can collapse when they are stored because their blocks are not 100%   aligned to the load beams. Blocks are too small 75 mm to 100 mm whereas the other pallets are 150 mm. There is currently a shortage of freezer storage in South Africa. Pallets are stored in the gangways, causing MHE to travel too close to the racking structure, resulting in impacts. LNB (Load Notice Boards) are the foundation of rack safety as they detail rack beam levels and overall weights that can be stored in the racking. In most stores which I have recently inspected, the LNB are simply not there or are incorrect. Even if present, operators frequently don’t know what they mean.     BARPRO STORAGE CERTIFIED RACK INSPECTOR Barri-Leon Malherbe (Reg 0441) Training & Inspections Mobile : 082 565 3970 Office : 021 552 9190 Email: training@barpro.co.za/rackadmin@barpro.co.za

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