We’ve talked before about the importance of forklift safety and regular inspections when it comes to the pallet rack shelving in your Chicago warehouse. One other area you should focus on when it comes to safety in your warehouse is how you use your pallet rack shelving. Following best practices can keep your shelves in good shape and keep both your staff and your inventory safe.
When working with pallet rack shelving, follow these helpful guidelines for use:
- Stack the heaviest items on the bottom. While it might be more convenient to store less-frequently-accessed items up above, if they weight more, you could be putting your racks and your team in danger. Store heavy items on the bottom or the middle shelves to keep the weight from buckling your pallet rack shelving.
- Load your shelves as neatly as possible. It might seem like it doesn’t matter, but haphazardly stacked items are more in danger of toppling over. Encourage your team to make shelves neat and organized; not only will it make your shelves safer, it will make items easier to find, too.
- Keep aisles free from debris. Teach your team that if something is in the aisle, it needs to be moved. This is important for your forklift drivers as well.
- Take items off of the pallet rack shelving slowly and one at a time. Don’t get in a hurry and try to remove several items at once; this can be an invitation to disaster.
Follow these tips and you’ll be well on your way to making your pallet rack shelving safe in your Chicago warehouse. Be sure to check in with DAK Equipment regularly for more great tips!
