PREVENT RACK COLLAPSES WITH REGULAR RACK INSPECTIONS

Pallet racking in South Arica is being designed for heavier pallets at even higher levels.

While pallet racking is perfectly capable of carrying heavier and higher loads, rack damage will reduce the strength of the racking and may eventually result in a collapse.

Weekly inspections are a great way of preventing rack damage from becoming a potential collapse hazard.

The paperwork is easy to fill in and should be counter signed off by the warehouse manager. Any serious “RED” rack damage identified must be rectified by a trained technician immediately with the affected rack emptied until the repairs can be done.

Every 6 months an external rack inspector or a suitably qualified person should do an independent inspection and check the weekly reports to ensure that they have correctly completed and that the repairs have been carried out.

EXAMPLE OF INSPECTION SHEET

RISK LEVEL & REQUIRED ACTION INDICATORS:

GREEN – Minor damage

Surveillance – Indicate as safe (for now) and reassess at future inspections.

AMBER – Significant damage

Repair as soon as possible – Specify the damage and do not load/reload the component until certified safe.

RED – Critical damage

Immediately offload all affected bays and replace damaged components before use.

This simple system has been used in the UK for several years and when done correctly it reduces the number and severity of rack collapses.