Safety Sandy Says, Drop In Some Drop Pins

Imagine this scenario for a moment:

When using a forklift to load some material stacked on half pallets onto used teardrop selective pallet rack, the forklift’s mast backrest gets caught on the pallet rack cross-beam, exerting enough upward pressure to break the safety lock. The broken lock means that the beam is no longer supporting the weight of the product properly. As the forklift backs out, the beam disengages from the teardrops in the frame upright and drops, putting the load and the operator at risk.

 This might seem like a far-fetched scenario, but experience has shown us that this exact type of “beam disengagement” accident happens frequently. Half pallets can make it more difficult to completely judge where the mast and backrest are in relation to the pallet rack beam. Rack Manufacturers Institute standards call for rack to be able to withstand 1,000 pounds of upward pressure, but an incorrectly positioned forklift mast can potentially exert much more than that in this situation. What can be done to prevent a serious accident?

The complicated answer involves better forklift training, but there’s also an equally valid and much simpler and practical solution. There is an extra measure you can take to prevent the pallet rack from failing in this type of situation – drop pins. In a lot of installations of used pallet rack, there are not enough pins to secure the beam to the frame. That’s where drop pins come into play.

Drop pins are typically J-shaped bolts that slide into holes either on the front of the upright or on the inside of the beam, to secure the beam to the upright. Once in place, the safety pin keeps the beam secure, even if a forklift puts pressure on it. A simple pin can prevent the beam from disengaging from the upright and keep the load from falling.

So make it a point to drop in some drop pins. Spending a little extra on this seemingly insignificant and often overlooked tool can make a huge difference in the long run. You can purchase pallet rack safety clips online or Contact AK Material Handling Systems for more details.