Why You Should Have Pallet Rack Protection
Why You Should Have Pallet Rack Protection
You’ve invested in a customized storage system that perfectly suits the needs of your company and paid to have it installed. However, you’re missing a key ingredient to your storage system: pallet rack protection.
The racks in your system are key to the continued success of your operations, so why wouldn’t you protect them?
Benefits of Having Pallet Rack Protection
Unfortunately, rack damage from forklifts is a common occurrence in distribution centers. Having rack protection installed will help avoid much of the major damage of these impacts.
Three major benefits provided by rack protection are:
- Increases employee safety.
- Protects racks from damage, helping to avoid a collapse.
- Avoids damage to your rack investment and inventory.
Pallet Rack Protection Recommendations
Rack protection products will significantly improve the safety of your warehouse. Not all warehouse rack protectors are designed to do the same job, and often incorporating multiple types will provide the most benefit.
Below are some protection options available. The video in this section also details these protection options.
Column Guards
Damage to columns is most often the result of forklifts bumping into the rack. Column guards provide a buffer between the forklift and the rack, making the impact less severe and often preventing immediate rack failure.
Column guards will protect the interior frame of your rack. This makes it useful when you are loading and unloading ground level pallets.
End of Row Protection
While column guards shield individual columns from being struck directly by forklifts traveling through aisles, end-of-row protection defends against forklifts running directly into frames.
End of row protection is useful when protecting against sliding pallets. Another instance you should consider end of row protection is if you store pallets on the outside of the rack, next to the end of it. End of row protection stops damage such as bending rack.
Down Aisle Protection
Forklifts traveling through warehouse aisles can run off-course into the rack. Down-aisle protection helps guide them through the system.
Down aisle protection is important if you have very narrow aisles (aisles 6-8 ft. wide). It also is useful to protect against rack damage when conducting high lifts.
Frame Extensions
Frame extensions are installed at the top of each frame to prevent materials stored on the top beam levels from falling.
You should consider frame extensions if you store product on the top level of the rack. This protects damage of inventory caused by forklift impacts.
Your Next Steps For Protecting Your Racking System
If you are concerned about protecting your racking system, consider REB Storage Systems. We specialize in identifying areas where protection products should be incorporated and can provide you with a detailed list of these concerns.
REB is a highly experienced systems integrator, in business since 1962. REB has 17 in-house project managers and engineers, all highly experienced in the material handling industry. These people know this industry inside and out.
We’d appreciate the opportunity to help you further, whether that be more information or a quote. Fill out the contact form or call us at (800) 252-5955 to get in touch with a REB representative.