Following HSE best practice (hse.gov.uk) offers practical advice on all matters of occupational safety which is unbiased, trustworthy and objective and usually means you are complying with the law should the unthinkable happen.
Industry offers a range of warehouse and storage racking safety systems from floor mounted pallet racking guards and barriers through to warehouse safety netting and Rack Collapse Prevention’s racking safety system cables, all are good safety solutions to consider both individually and as a combined safety measure to ensure best practise.
Investment in floor-based racking protection offers advantages including a lower rate of framework damage caused. Manual handling equipment (MHE) being used can dent and even destroy entire rows of racking from one-off accidents, but daily wear and tear also takes its toll.
If a rack is damaged even slightly, will it be safe to use regardless of it remaining standing and seemingly stable following impact? Damaged racking has the real potential for income loss through product damage, litigation, equipment damage, loss of productivity and significantly employee injury and loss of life.
Leg and barrier systems serve to block machinery from knocking into racking legs and uprights, but they only protect approx 300mm of the leg from the floor leaving the rest of the leg with no protection at all. They also act as a visual reminder of areas where greater care is needed, and when used individually they easily deal with the everyday. However when safety systems are combined, each offering specific individual protection qualities, and each taking on the responsibility it was designed for, they demonstrate a holistic best practice safety approach as all situations have been considered.
In the event of pallet racking, installed with Rack Collapse Prevention’s safety system, having an upright leg portion removed due to impact, or other causes, the damaged upright drops marginally, unlike in a conventional racking collapse, and does not cause adjacent racking to be overloaded as the load from the affected upright is transferred to the safety system and in turn spreads the load along the structure and across bays.
Pallet racking safety systems need to accommodate each individual storage and warehouse situation, and the MHE being used. Installing warehouse racking involves careful planning and thought so it worth considering not just the immediate but the long-term:
• Will it meet business need in the next two to five years
• How easily can they be moved/altered
• Cost to change/alter
• Are there any additional benefits to be gained
After fire, every warehouse manager worries about the potential for a domino-style racking collapse. Fires can be quickly detected, contained and extinguished, but a racking collapse following single or multiple leg impact, delivers a whole different scenario depending on a range of existing factors:
• Adequate design
• Correctly installed
• Modification to original racking design
• Have pallet locations been overloaded
• Resultant MHE impact/damage
• Failure of the supporting floor
• Chemical or environmental wear and tear
Our trusted and proven safety system eliminates warehouse racking collapse and offers additional value-added benefits including reduced business insurance premiums, ensures business operations aren’t disrupted, and provides employee confidence among other advantages.
We will work with you to offer free and impartial help and advice to ensure you have the right pallet racking safety solution right for your specific warehouse or storage environment.