Regular rack inspections are very important regardless if they are pallet racks, cantilever racks, bar racks, sheet racks, pigeon hole racks or any other type of rack. Why you ask? Because anytime employees are working in and around racks, the potential for impacts and errors often lead to damage. Equipment operators may not even realize they have bumped a rack and leave behind undetected damage.
Depending on the type of rack(s) you use and how you use it/them determines how often you should do an inspection. For example, a rack that is used daily has a greater chance for damage compared to a rack that is used weekly.
Someone responsible should perform a periodic walk around your racks paying close attention to the ends of aisles which is where damage is most likely to happen. Who will complete the inspections should be based on your company’s preferences. A good starting point is to properly train someone on your staff on inspections and what to look for. That person should be looking for obvious damages like dents, but also missing parts. A trained eye is necessary.
If damage is found, you will have to determine how much and what type of damage exists. Your safest bet is to isolate the rack and have a specialist come in, inspect the damage and make recommendations.
A specialist will determine what parts need to be replaced and what can be repaired. Because parts of a rack system are very specific and have precise measurements, swapping one part for another that is not exactly the same can be problematic.
It is also important to consider the age of your racks and the variety of racks within your facility. If your facility has been in operation for a long time, you may have many different racks of all ages, sizes and types. The person who will be responsible for rack inspections should consider the age of the racks when doing an inspection paying close attention to the older racks.
Although rack inspections can seem simple and straightforward, when you look at the big picture, there is a lot to consider when planning periodic rack inspections.
Diverse Supply’s storage racks can be seen in our material storage section of our website at: