Damaged racking is a clear indicator that unsafe operation is present within your site and without the necessary follow-up actions, you could face serious issues and quickly rack up disruptions, costs and injuries.

We’ve all seen the videos on social media that depict racking falling in a warehouse like dominoes. If you allow bad practice to become the norm, this nightmare scenario, or a similarly dangerous situation, could become a reality within your operations. 

And don’t forget, it isn’t only major racking collapses that pose a problem. Less catastrophic, but still incredibly disruptive, incidents also cost businesses time and money.

The solution? Find the root of the problem. By pinpointing and correcting the bad practice that leads to these dents and scrapes, those overseeing your operations can reduce the risk of racking damage occurring in the first place.

Identifying the problem

It is important to locate any specific problem areas within your working environment, as this will provide valuable context and help point you towards the relevant improvements. 

Damage to racking legs is particularly common but remember to check your storage system at all levels. As well as damage, unsafe operation at height can lead to “push-throughs,” where the load being handled inadvertently pushes the one behind, damaging the rear racking or dislodging loads.

All racking should undergo regular inspections by a trained and competent person as a matter of course, for safety and compliance.

Damage equals costs

Where there is damage, there are inevitably costs involved. If you’re running a decent sized fleet, a huge racking repair bill at the end of a typical contract isn’t unheard of. 

Many businesses simply view this as inevitable, but that’s certainly not the case.

Reduce the risk by tackling the cause

Once you’ve identified any issues, it’s then a case of finding the relevant ways to tackle them. 

This could incorporate any number of methods, including:

Traffic management:
Reviewing the flow of traffic around your site may help. Introducing one-way systems and restricted areas can reduce congestion in busy locations and lower the risk of accidents. Mirrors on blind corners can also help operators to see oncoming traffic/pedestrians and therefore avoid the risk of collisions with others, or fixtures and fittings.

Quality assured training:
Evidence of unsafe operation suggests that your drivers are either unaware of best practice or have developed complacent attitudes to safety. Either way, making sure that they receive the relevant training is one of the most effective ways to reduce risk. Ensure that quality-assured operator training is in place for novices and experienced operators alike, including regular refresher courses to keep skills and priorities aligned with safe practice.

Regular monitoring and supervision:
Those overseeing forklift operations on site play a key role in promoting safe practices by actively monitoring and supervising their teams. Whether this is done by reviewing CCTV footage, truck telematics or regularly “walking the floor”, reinforcing the importance of safe operation can help to foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. To do this effectively, however, managers and supervisors must be able to confidently recognise both good and bad practice, so that they can take action when needed.

This doesn’t mean that your managers need to be certified operators themselves, but they do need the skills and knowledge to understand and effectively reduce the risks presented by MHE on site. Specialist training courses are available to help them meet these requirements.

Take a proactive approach

If damaged racking is plaguing your operations, shift your focus to the unsafe practice at its root. Proactively tackle this via training, monitoring, reviewing procedures or a combination of methods, and the risk of damage will dramatically reduce - closely followed by your repair bills.