Recognizing The Warning Signs of Rack Damage

Warehouse staff often take warehouse racking for granted. Racks are designed to last for years with little attention or maintenance – until they become damaged.

Damage to warehouse racks is visually obvious. When multiple structural components are broken, bent, or even twisted, it’s pretty hard to miss. There is some damage, however, that can be tougher to spot.

The following are some identifiers to keep an eye out for during a warehouse rack inspection:

Overall Appearance

Is the rack skewed or twisted, or is it plumb and level like it is supposed to be? Racks that are poorly aligned or have crooked rows are obvious problematic warning signs. A contributing factor that could cause diagonal, horizontal, or vertical bracing issues could stem from poor floor support.

Evidence of Impact

Material handling equipment, including forklifts, can also cause damage to a warehouse rack. Racks with bad alignments or crooked rows are clear problematic indicators of damage. It can take only a small amount of impact to affect the components of a rack, including loose beams, connectors, or braces.

Buckled or Bent Vertical Upright

Without a close inspection, buckled or bent uprights can be tough to spot. A rack only has to be buckled or bent slightly to keep it from being able to take on heavy loads. In order to inspect a rack for buckles or bends, place a three-foot level or other straightedge against the vertical surface. If any gaps are present, there are some weak points in the rack’s structure.

Horizontal Beam Deflection

Deflected beams are difficult to detect as well, but if there are some obvious signs of bowing or sagging, this could pose a serious problem for warehouse workers. Loads should be removed immediately and the appropriate measures must be taken to either replace or repair the beam.

Misaligned Diagonal Braces

Misaligned diagonal braces should be easy to spot. Diagonal bracing absorbs any blow a rack might take if it becomes physically twisted or struck forcefully. Diagonals that are snapped or sprung require attention immediately because they will pose a dangerous situation if left unattended.

Rust

More trouble signs include rusty staining or paint blisters. Corroded metal will eventually become visible over time, which can make a rack structure entirely too weak to use. The material strength of the rack becomes weak and unreliable, which is a clear indicator of surface rust. The rack must be replaced as repairs will not correct the problem.

Loose Baseplates

A rack’s stability and capacity heavily rely on a rack’s feet. Each rack should be anchor-bolted to the warehouse floor. If a baseplate is missing, bent, or loose, the bolts should be removed until they can be replaced or repaired.

Connectors
To prolong the life of a warehouse racking system:

• Make sure that forklift drivers are properly trained and certified.

• Make sure that you don’t overload a rack, overloading can cause significant damage to a rack.

• Never purchase racks on cost alone. If you purchase an inferior rack, it might not be able to handle large loads, which could cost you more money than you’ll actually end up saving. And finally,

• Never mix or match rack components as this could also cause a rack to fail.