What are the tips to maintain a warehouse racking system?
- Rethink Your Warehouse Layout
- Train Your Machinery Operators
- Place Bollards and Column Protectors
- Don’t Overload Your Racks
- Inspect The Warehouse Racks Regularly
For the longest time, warehouses have been a vital part of the successful operations of a wide array of industries.
Everyone from manufacturers, exporters, importers, customs, wholesalers and logistic businesses rely on them. And, inside any warehouse, there are racking systems — which are essential in storing and collecting goods for distribution.
Unfortunately, the maintenance of these racking systems is often overlooked, which ultimately results in operational inefficiency and serious injuries. That’s why in this article, we’ve rounded up several tips to maintain your warehouse racking system.
The Importance of Warehouse Racking System Maintenance
Keep in that mind that as your business scales up, the need for more warehouse racking systems that store goods will only increase. If even one racking system is not maintained, it can collapse and cause catastrophic damage. Depending on the layout of your warehouse, as one rack collapses, it can cause the adjacent racks to collapse. You also have to account for the incidence of workforce accidents as this is happening.
Here in the Philippines, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Act (RA 11058), employers are to comply with occupational safety and health standards, which can include warehouse safety. It’s crucial to follow warehouse racking system maintenance guidelines.
Below are a few tips to maintain your warehouse racking system to avoid operational delays and costly accidents. Whether you are in the process of building a new warehouse racking system or renovating your current system, these tips are worth considering.
Rethink Your Warehouse Layout
Rethinking your warehouse layout is one of the best ways to maintain your warehousing racking system.
Your warehouse aisles must be wide enough for any machinery, such as forklifts, to pass safely. While you might be tempted to make the aisles more narrow to allow your racking system to hold more goods, this can also lead to issues when machinery bumps the racking systems.
Leaving enough room for machinery to pass through the warehouse can avoid bumped racks and cut down on accidents.
Train Your Machinery Operators
A common problem in warehouses originates from the simple act of loading and unloading items. The loading and loading of goods alone can cause warehouse racking system damage already. Why? Heavy machinery, such as forklifts, can bump into the racking.
The best way to avoid this problem is to properly train your machinery operators, such as those that operate forklifts to load and unload goods from the racking systems. Operating machinery throughout warehouses can be challenging because it often requires skills for maneuvering through tight spaces. Without proper training, an inexperienced machinery operator can collide with the racking systems.
This is exactly why training your machinery operators is one of the best tips to maintain your warehouse racking system and keep everyone safe.
Place Bollards and Column Protectors
Even the best machinery operators can make errors and take miscalculated turns in your warehouse now and then. To ensure your warehouse racking systems are maintained and free from damage, you can place reinforcements.
You can anchor your racking systems deep to the ground to prevent them from toppling. This is especially important for warehouses where earthquake activity is common. In addition, you can also use bright yellow guardrails, rack guards, column protectors, or bollards to ensure racking protection.
Don’t Overload Your Racks
Every racking system has a certain maximum load capacity. There is an indicated capacity both per shelf and the total racking system. Several factors influence the load capacity of a racking system, including fabrication methods. For example, certain types of steel are stronger than others.
Overloading your racks can deform them and weaken them over time. When you buy a racking system, make sure to choose those that meet your load needs. At Aluminum Depot, we offer heavy-duty shelves in the Philippines from Tortrack Warehouse Solutions.
Tortrack is the leading supplier of industrial-grade steel shelves and racks in the Philippines. We offer light, medium, and heavy shelves with differing load capacities of up to 1,000 kg per shelving layer.
But if you already have a warehouse racking system, make sure not to go over the indicated maximum load limit. Place load limit signs at the rack to inform your warehouse workforce as well.
Inspect The Warehouse Racks Regularly
In a busy warehouse, it can be hard to find the time to maintain every product and equipment. That’s why maintaining your warehouse racking system can seem like a nuisance. However, you cannot neglect warehouse racking system maintenance. You can appoint someone to inspect all your racks regularly.
Warehouse racking systems eventually wear down. So, the inspector should regularly check for potential damages such as cracks and bends. The inspection can be done monthly or quarterly.
Key Takeaway
In this article are just some of the tips to maintain your warehouse racking system. Remember that warehouse racking system maintenance is the key to a safe and efficient operation.
At Aluminum Depot, we offer different types of industrial shelving in the Philippines including cantilever shelves and pallet racks for affordable prices. All our shelves are powder-coated, modular, and checked for safety. To learn more about our shelving systems in the Philippines and how they can work for you, contact us today!
