Repairs and Maintenance

KEEP THOSE RAILS CLEAN!

Repairs and Maintenance /

Barpro recently had a call out from one of our clients stating their mobiles were not moving. When our technician arrived on site, he discovered that there was a build-up of dirt on the rails causing the base wheels to lose traction, thereby the base would not move over the rails. This problem would not have happened if the rails were cleaned regularly. Another client kept burning out motors and repairing them without investigating why it was happening. When the front guide rail was cleaned, a nut was found jammed in the center which took them 20 minutes to get out – problem solved. The moral of the story, keep guide rails clean and not override the safeties.

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What is the latest from our Rack Inspector?

Materials Handling Equipment, Repairs and Maintenance /

In my recent inspections, I encountered several warehouses and cold stores around Southern Africa with operators of MHE depositing pallets on damaged beams. Not just superficial or unseen damage but damage you can see ( note photo ). We don’t know if this is done with closed eyes from the driver’s point of view or if it is just a case of the driver not knowing what can happen if such a beam collapses. Maybe the instruction comes directly from a supervisor or manager that don’t know the seriousness of the situation. Then you get beams that are damaged already being installed- the damage varies from a beam being bent to one of the lugs being broken off.(note photo). The same goes for frames. Frames that are seen to be damaged are still loaded. We are unfortunately not all engineers and do not understand the principles of structural integrity – but when something does not look right- it probably isn’t. We do a training course for exactly that reason. They will be directly responsible for seeing the damage and reporting it to the PRRS (Person Responsible for Rack Safety ) – who in return can categorize the damage into Red, Amber, or Green. SEMA DAMAGE CODES & TOLERANCES Till next time. Contact Barpro’s Rack Inspector for more advice on rack safety and inspections : Barri-Leon Malherbe Rack Inspector – Reg: 0344 Mobile: 082 565 3970 Office: 021 5529190 training@barpro.co.za

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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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