Improving Rack Safety in Your Warehouse – How it benefits the workplace

Storage racks are considered to be among the most important storage solutions in any industrial manufacturing facility, as well as warehouses. They are also used in various residential, retail, and commercial applications. Yes, it is true that the majority of the users are well aware of rack safety; still, it is one of the most overlooked areas. So, if you are a business owner and in need of a new racking system for your warehouse or any storage facility, you may find yourself caught in between balancing the considerations of cost and quality. But regardless of the system you will finally choose, always ensure that it gets installed, keeping in mind the OSHA rack or OSHA rack’s health and safety standards. Failure to abide by OSHA regulations will not only result in worker’s lawsuit and productivity cost but will also incur hefty civil fines that can easily shatter your business.

Rack Safety Regulations:

The occupational safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1970 requires that employers offer a workplace that is free from known possible hazards to its employee. These hazards are typically categorized as “those likely to cause physical harm or in worse care scenario, even death.” According to statistics, there has been a significant change in the downfall of such hazardous incidents. Worker injuries were down from around 10.9 incidents were 100 workers in 1972 to around 2.8 per 100 workers in 2017.

So considering this positive change, here are few steps with which you can improve pallet rack safety in your warehouse:

Assess – A good step at the initial level involves the assessment of your racking systems to get a clear picture of the state of the racks. This can be done with the help of maintenance personnel. Upon visiting your warehouse, the expert might recommend inspection resulting in a detailed listing of all issues.

Prioritizing – The second step involves taking a good look at the issues found. The damage should be labeled according to the level of damage it has incurred. And the most important step is to pay attention to high traffic zones where repeated damage has been experienced.

Engaging and taking actions – Communicating your safety goals with employees along with onboarding your workers makes it easy for them and for you to report and notice the damage. Damages usually go unnoticed because workers around those racks wouldn’t know what to look for. This communication plays an important role in such considerations.

So, whenever you are buying racks, always ensure they are equipped with features that assure protection and durability. Also, The racks should be strategically built in such a way that there is adequate clearing space between pallets and frames, between pallets and underside of beams, pallet overhang, forklift operations, while also having

Author’s Bio – The author is an avid blogger. This article discusses what steps can be taken to ensure the safety of your working employees if you are a business owner.