Rack Safety: Ensuring Workplace Safety & Efficiency

Matt Nieszczur Mighty Line | Mighty Line Safety Floor Tape | Mighty Line's Safety Talk and Toolbox Talk Topics | Safety Floor Tape in the News
02/06/2023 3:59pm 8 minute read

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If you have tow or lift trucks at your facility, it’s almost certain that you have racks to store items. If you have racks, that means you have, or at least should have, safety rules to follow within those racks. Those rules are put in place to keep you and your co-workers safe, organized, and productive.

The Best Precaution is Awareness and Preparation

When working within racks, it is essential to be aware of your surroundings, as there are potential hazards all around you. This includes keeping an eye on the things on the racks, the racks themselves, and people walking in and around the racks.

Another way to ensure safety around racks is to wear gear that is on par with all the safety requirements that your facility has in place. This Includes, but not limited to, hearing protection, eye protection, and a hard hat. Other safety gear, such as steel toed boots and breathing protection may be required as well. Again, just follow whatever safety requirements your facility has in place.

Yet another way to stay safe is by knowing all of the safety areas near your racks. These will be designated with floor markings and/or signs. Always be on the lookout for areas that have been changed or updated, so that you’re always aware of the most up to date safety markings.

Not only do you have to pay attention to safety markings, but also the racks themselves. The slightest damage in the right place, can cause an entire rack to collapse. In many cases, this can lead to a domino effect that ends up taking out other racks with it. That is why it is important to inspect the racks and their products. In reference to products, assure that loads are of proper weight and placement. Also, the way you identify the placement of a product needs to be easy to see/scan. This way, you and your co-workers will be able to properly identify where everything is at all times.

How to Place Products on Racks According to Weight

Knowing the maximum weight that a rack can hold is vital for safety. Generally speaking, heavier items are stored lowest to the ground, and lighter objects are stored as you go higher up. Putting something heavier than the recommended weight limit on a rack is a recipe for trouble and should be avoided at all costs.

When placing products on the uppermost racks, it’s vital that you know and are constantly aware of your clearance. Roofs, sprinkler heads, lighting, and cameras can easily be damaged if you are not paying attention. In the case of sprinkler systems, excessive damage and downtime can be caused when accidentally hit.

Last, but certainly not least, if you don’t know or something seems incorrect – consult a supervisor. As mentioned in the first part of this podcast, when you have racks, it’s also likely you have tow or lift trucks, which come along with their own rules as well. Before ever operating a tow or lift truck, be certain you’ve taken and know all the required safety training to operate equipment within the racks.

While most equipment have safety settings in place that won’t allow you to start or operate them without having the proper equipment attached, it’s still your responsibility to assure you’re wearing the proper safety belts and harnesses.

It is also a good practice to make sure aisles and the areas at the front and back of racks are clear of dirt and debris when walking to your station before a shift. Dragging debris under your tow and lift trucks can damage both the trucks and floor markings.

Lastly, even though it should be common sense, be sure to know and obey speed limits in and around racks.

Clearance

This subject was mentioned in the first part of this podcast in reference to placement. But in getting the product to its proper placement, you have to be concerned more than ever with clearance. Be sure you know the maximum height you’re able to go before raising your tow or lift truck.

Load Safety

Knowing proper load safety, both in transport and storage. is extremely important. When loading materials, make sure you have heavier items placed equally and/or centered on the bottom of your load. Add lighter items as you get higher, and make sure your load is secure from shifting or flying off during acceleration, bumps, and sudden stops. We just covered weight distribution earlier, but this is especially important when extended vertically. Your tow or lift truck is extremely heavy. When your mast is high or fully extended, safety concerns increase.

Power Management

Speaking of being fully extended, another area you need to be concerned with is your battery or fuel. You don’t want to run out of power in the middle of racks or full extension. In addition to power, you want to make sure your batteries or tanks are in good condition. Charging and fueling areas are notorious for misuse and abuse. Make sure you treat all areas as if they were your own.

Pallets

Pallet conditions are another extremely important thing to pay attention to. Be sure to only use pallets that are in good shape, and don’t have any objects sticking out on the edges, top, or bottom. By doing this, you’ll know you’ve done your best to assure product is sitting on a secure base, the racks in your facility aren’t being damaged from the pallets sitting within them, floor markings aren’t being worn or torn due to objects going across them, and last, but not least, staff doesn’t run the risk of being injured from objects sticking out.

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