Pallet Rack Shelving Frame Repair – Safety Sandy

Welcome to the first article of “Sandy’s Warehouse Safety Blog Series”. Today I will be discussing how to correctly identify damaged warehouse pallet rack and what to do when you find it. Too often I walk into warehouses that intend to represent safe work zones only to find pallet racking completely loaded balancing on damaged upright frames and cross beams. Not only is this not safe but this can be deadly. Don’t believe me? Check out this youtube video of how dangerous racking can be when collapsing. Pallet Rack Collapse. As we previously discussed in our latest blog, there are a couple of things you can do right now to ensure your racking is safe. Ask yourself these five questions:

1. Are there major dents or buckling to the upright frame column?

2. Are there bends and/or broken welds to the side support frame channels?

3. Is there any damage to the beam to upright connection?

4. Is the upright column twisted?

5. Is the upright column and the base floor plate unattached?

  If you answered yes to any of these questions immediate action is required. The question is… what exactly is the action required. MHIA offers a FAQ section on their website with the RMI answer to this question.

Speaking in terms of the upright frame bracing:

“If a frame brace is damaged, the first priority should be to immediately unload the area supported by the damaged component and to prevent the placement of loads into that area. In the case of the frame braces, it may be the bays on either side of the upright which are damaged.
Contact the manufacturer’s representative for an engineering evaluation of the effects of the damage to the structural integrity of the rack, of the damage. Only after such an evaluation, after repairs if necessary are competently completed, and after approval of the work is done should the rack section be returned to service.” 

The above information was taken directly from:
Material Handling Industry of America http://www.mhia.org/industrygroups/rmi/faq

So with that basic understanding and instruction, the truth is you need to immediately unload the product and pallets then contact your pallet rack supplier for the next necessary steps. We have also come up with a couple of helpful tips on when to replace or repair your pallet rack upright frame. 
 

Should I replace my pallet rack upright frame or should I have a frame repair kit installed?

This is a common question in the material handling industry.

Here are a few reasons to have the upright replaced:

1. The upright is located on an end of a racking run.

2. High damage to the upright column.

3. Multiple damages to the upright column or bracing.

Here are a few reasons to have a rack repair kit installed:

1. The damaged upright is located in an interior bay of the racking run.

2. Extra reinforcement is required for the upright location.

3. The pallets on the damaged racking bay cannot be downloaded to remove and replace the upright.


If you are interested in pricing for either option make sure to contact us or give us a call at 763-493-5015. We offer Pallet Rack Repair Kits and we also have a large in-stock inventory of new and used pallet rack.