How are you protecting your pallet racking? If you don’t have safety equipment in place, you could be putting your team and your inventory in jeopardy. RMH Systems sells a variety of racking protection including corner guards and upright protection. These are essential pieces of warehouse equipment that you can’t afford to go without. Make sure you know why you need it, how to use it, and how our warehouse consultants can ensure you have the protection that you need for your racking.
Upright Protection: The Basics
What is Upright Protection?
Upright protection helps prevent damage to the upright supports of your pallet racking from forklifts and other warehouse equipment. It can be made of plastic, metal, or other material and is there to act as a barrier around the uprights. These are the most vulnerable parts of the pallet racking and damage to them can increase your risk of racking collapse. A ding with the forklift to an edge or a corner of your shelving may not seem like a big deal, but it could be the beginning of structural damage to your pallet racks.
It may seem like the upright protection you put on your pallet racks is simply to protect the corners from wayward forklifts and heavy equipment and keeping them looking nice for aesthetic reasons. While that’s a major part of the job of upright protection, it’s not the only function. In the long run, the upright protection is there to keep your team and your products safe. That’s because damage to the corners isn’t just an eyesore–it’s a safety issue.
The Cost of Not Preventing Damage
While pallet racks are made of heavy duty steel that will stand up to years of wear and tear, it isn’t flawless. Damage in the wrong spot could lead to collapse, putting employees and merchandise at risk. The repercussions can be long-lasting and devastating, and can include:
- Thousands of dollars in damaged inventory. Imagine if your racking collapsed right now; how much of your inventory would make it through the experience undamaged? In all likelihood, very little of it. You would probably need to damage out the vast majority of your inventory and start over, meaning major losses to your bottom line.
- Lost time in the warehouse. Cleaning up after a racking collapse takes a lot of time. Not only will you have to damage out the majority of your inventory, you’ll need to purchase and install new racking to replace the ones that caused the damage. All of that takes time, which means you will probably not be able to fulfill orders and will very likely lose business because of it.
- Injuries to team members. Worst of all, a racking collapse runs the very high risk of causing injuries to your team members. Those working in the area at the time of the collapse could be injured by falling items or even trapped under collapsed racking. Tragically, warehouse workers can even be killed in these accidents.
Installing Your Upright Protection
Thankfully, preventing all of this damage is pretty easy. Most upright protectors are very easy to install. You should be able to do it yourself, if you wish, using a few tools and a couple minutes of your time. The uprights come with pre-drilled holes that can be anchored into your flooring or attached to your current racking system, depending on the piece that you purchase and what you are protecting. If you wish to have upright protection installed by a professional, the RMH team can help with that. We have installation experts who can visit your warehouse and complete the work for you.
It’s important that you add these protective items to your inspection list. When you inspect your racking, make sure you inspect your safety equipment, too. Any equipment that’s been hit by a forklift should be promptly examined for signs of damage or stress. If necessary, you should replace damaged protection immediately. This will keep the racking safe and help you prevent additional damage from occuring.
What Other Protection Do You Need?
There are a number of potential solutions for your racking protection needs, and RMH Systems has them all. Your needs will vary based on the type of equipment you use and the configuration of your warehouse shelving, but a warehouse consultant can help you determine what items you need and can even help you get them installed right away. Along with upright protection, our warehouse consultants might also recommend one or more of the following items:
- Barriers. Our barrier selection includes corner and column guards as well as bollards to keep forklifts from damaging racking equipment. We also have corner guards and end of aisle rack guards, so every piece of your racking can get the protection that it needs.
- Column protectors. This category also includes spring-loaded bollards and overhead door track guards, which can keep your dock (another area that’s at high risk for injury and accident within your warehouse).
- Rails. You need rails in various areas of your warehouse to meet OSHA standards, including at your dock, on your mezzanine decks, and at stairways and platforms. We have the rails that keep you OSHA compliant.
- Safety tape. Safety tape is a quick and easy way to draw attention to areas. RMH has a robust selection of safety tape so you can mark shelving, aisles, and hazards to make them extra visible.
Let Us Help You Find the Right Racking Protection for Your Warehouse
Keeping your pallet rack free from damage isn’t just about having a nice, orderly warehouse. It’s about having a warehouse that’s safe for everyone in it and the projects you are storing, sorting, moving, and selling. Start with the right upright protection by calling RMH Systems! Check out all of our pallet rack protection, including upright protection, machinery guards, rail systems, rack protectors and more. Place an order by giving us a call at 800-851-4995 or shopping our online inventory. You can speak with a project manager about finding the right protective equipment for your warehouse by contacting us through our website, too.
