BY SUSAN K. LACEFIELD, EDITOR AT LARGE
RACKS AND SHELVING
IT MIGHT BE TEMPTING TO THINK
of the racking system in your warehouse or DC as a larger version of the
metal shelving in your garage. After
all, how complicated could a steel rack
be—especially the traditional selective
rack, which doesn’t even have any
moving parts?
Such thinking, however, could lead to a costly—and potentially deadly—disaster. “Storage
racks are a load-bearing steel structure, and because they’re supporting a variety of different
loads, it’s important for them to be maintained,” says Dave Olson, national sales and marketing
manager for the manufacturer Ridg-U-Rak. Rack damage can lead to collapse, he continues,
putting your equipment, people, and even financial health at risk.
While rack collapse is rare, it can be extremely dangerous. What can you do to avoid a rack
disaster at your facility? Here are some quick tips for preventing rack damage and collapse.
(More information can be found in two e-documents created by the Rack Manufacturers
Institute (RMI): Considerations for the Planning and Use of Industrial Steel Storage Racks and
Guidelines for the Assessment and Repair or Replacement of Damaged Racks. The documents cost
$50 each.)
1Choose your rack with care. There are many different types of racks on the market, from selective rack to high-density drive-in rack to carton flow rack, as well as many different components for each type of rack. If you select the wrong type of rack for your operation,
you’re more likely to experience rack damage, according to Olson. “A proper analysis and
materialhandlingupdate
While rack collapse may be rare,
it is extremely dangerous. Here are
some ways to make sure it doesn’t
happen to you.
7tips for
improving
rack safety
