Warehouse Rack Safety Standards

In this video we explain four ANSI/RMI standards that pertain to identifying, repairing, and replacing damaged rack (2-minutes, 20-seconds).

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Hi and welcome to this edition of Total Warehouse Tutorials. In this video you will learn about warehouse racking safety standards.

When deciding what safety procedures to incorporate in your warehouse, it’s important to research rack safety regulations specific to your equipment and your location. Here we will go over four standards that pertain to identifying, repairing, and replacing damaged rack set forth by the American National Standards Institute and the Rack Manufacturers Institute in MH16.1

The first of these is this standard regarding owner maintenance. Essentially, this means that as the owner of a rack system, you are responsible to ensure that your racking is safe for use at all times.

Conducting frequent in-house rack assessments is a good way to help ensure compliance with this. Additionally, it is good practice to periodically hire a company that specializes in rack safety to conduct a full assessment. If damage is found, steps must immediately be taken to fix the damage.

Damage that is commonly found in rack systems includes column damage, horizontal and diagonal strut damage, footplate damage, overloaded or damaged beams, missing or damaged components, and leaning frames.

A second standard in MH16.1 is this one regarding rack damage. This means that any time the previously mentioned damage or other rack damage is found, action must be taken immediately to prevent injury. That section of racking should not continue to be utilized until it is properly repaired or replaced.

MH16.1 sets forth this standard for the repair and replacement of the damaged components, meaning that after you discontinue use of the damaged section of rack, the next step is to hire a professional rack company to move ahead with the appropriate repair and/or replacement.

The final MH 16.1 standard that we will discuss here is this one regarding additions, alterations, and reconfigurations to rack. One significant thing to take away from this is that it’s important not to attempt ‘makeshift’ repairs in-house, as a professional will be able to repair or replace components that ensure your rack system is structurally sound and safe for use.

That’s it for this edition of Total Warehouse Tutorials. I hope you join us for our next edition where we will talk about how to protect your rack from damage.

If you are concerned about the safety of your racking system, the sooner you address it the better. To speak to Joe Malerba, Director of Remediation Services at REB, directly, dial 773-366-8002. Alternatively, you can fill in the contact form on this page and Joe will contact you.