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Partnering March, 2024 Easy Tips to Increase Warehouse Safety By Del Williams


repercussions, including in- juries, operational downtime, product losses, property dam- ages, and potential legal actions. Of particular concern are acci- dents involving collisions be- tween forklifts or other vehicles and employees or visitors. Within busy operations, it is


I


quite possible that a forklift or other vehicle will eventually run into the rack. While the rack may not require immediate re- placement, storage capacity and product throughput may be com- promised for some time. If over- loaded, or loaded incorrectly, a rack can also collapse, spilling the inventory to the ground. Em- ployees and visitors must also be protected from vehicle traffic. Fortunately, a well thought


out rack safety program can pre- vent many accidents and reduce downtime, rack replacement, lia- bility, and other costs. “As in life, prevention is the


best cure. Rather than investing in all new racking, today it is easy to use a wide range of cost- effective safety products to pro- tect warehouse workers, prod- ucts, and property,” says Jim Au- gustyniak, a regional sales man-


nsufficient safety measures in warehouse and distribu- tion centers can have severe


ager at Steel King Industries, a designer and manufacturer of warehouse storage racks, pallet racks and material hand - ling/safety products since 1970.


Clearly define and protect walkways. Lines painted on the floor can be helpful in promoting separation of vehicles and pedes- trians. However, when no physi- cal barrier is provided, forklifts and other vehicles can cross over to the pedestrian side for reasons such as operator inattention/dis- traction or insufficient training.


Protect equipment with guardrail and safety gates. Guardrails can be used to protect mezzanines/platforms, conveyor systems, machinery, mechani- cals, electrical panels, building features, and offices situated amid material handling or man- ufacturing operations.


Protect rack from forklift damage in high traffic areas. Pallet rack rows can be protected from one of the most likely sources of damage — forklifts — with ac- cessories like Guard Dawg.


Protect rack columns from structural damage. When fork- lift operators load and unload product on racking, collisions


with an upright can occur that compromise its structural in- tegrity. To protect against this sce-


nario, safeguard the rack frame and posts with freestanding steel rack protectors.


Use Snap-on solid steel pro- tectors to help deflect impact to the rack. Some of the most common areas of forklift impact occur to the rack face. Snap-on protectors can deflect and absorb some of the impact.


Use rub rails to protect vul- nerable surfaces in narrow aisles or high traffic areas. Rub rails are often installed to protect end-of-rack aisles, in- plant offices, and exposed equip- ment. The upright is protected in two ways. First, the rub rail helps distribute any impact forces to the rear column of the frame. Second, the rub rail pre- vents the column from twisting when hit. The rails easily bolt on and can be installed at multiple levels for more protection.


Protect warehouse inventory from falls and fires. Pallet load stop beams are designed to pre- vent pallets of product from being accidentally pushed off the


back of a rack during loading or unloading, which can occur with certain loads if excessive force is used.


By keeping pallets in the


proper position with sufficient clearance, pallet load stop beams also facilitate better fire sup- pression from overhead sprin- klers in the event of a warehouse fire.


Use load supports to secure non-standard load sizes. For non-standard load sizes, consid- er using load supports to help keep inventory from falling be-


... a well thought out rack safety program can prevent many accidents and reduce downtime,


rack replacement, liability, and other costs.


tween the rack beams that sup- port the product.


Keep loose products from falling off racks with barri- ers or netting. Loose products can slide, overturn, or topple off a rack. This is especially danger- ous where the rack is adjacent to walking aisles or work areas. To address this hazard,


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frame accessories such as flexi- ble woven netting or steel mesh barriers can be attached to the rack system to prevent loads from falling and injuring those below.


Train employees to prevent accidents and inspect rack- ing. While the specifics will be unique to each operation, safety training should include instruc- tion on routine rack inspection since some damage will occur over time. With appropriate training


and safety products, warehouse operators will minimize the risk of potentially serious injury and damage. In addition, the warehouse


Manufacturing Custom Wire & Cable Solutions Since 1898


603-838-6624 • newenglandwire.com Lisbon, New Hampshire USA


will improve the bottom line by establishing a secure, efficient environment that protects em- ployees, equipment, and invento-


ry for many years to come. Contact: Steel King Indus-


tries, Inc., 2700 Chamber Street, Stevens Point, WI 54481 % 800-826-0203 Web: www.steelking.com r


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