Are your employees looking after your pallet storage?

Warehousing relies heavily on effective pallet storage as it’s still one of the most popular and inexpensive ways to store goods of all shapes and sizes. Despite its simplicity both in design and general operation, over time, pallet storage will start to show its age and requires a lot of outside help from warehouse managers and employees to ensure it lasts as long as possible.

Most of the issues concerning the maintenance of pallet storage come from either deliberate or accidental misuse, or not following warehouse safety guidelines properly. Empty pallets are a good example of this because people forget that there is a correct way to store them. Standing them up on their sides, or leant against a wall is a good way of ruining a pallet, and can in some cases lead to injuries.

So what can cause pallet storage damage in your warehouse?

Elsewhere on the warehouse floor, a number of minor collisions often go unreported. Forklift drivers may not think twice about bumping into pallet storage if there’s no visible harm done, but repeated stress on the metal can cause it to bend and eventually lose its structural support.

According to a number of videos on YouTube, there have been many occasions where employees decide to climb pallet storage and racking instead of using the proper tools (such as forklifts or rolling stairwells) to retrieve goods. This is incredibly dangerous, not just for the employee involved, but for others in the vicinity. Danger from falling stock or damaging the racking so much that it breaks without warning is an issue that can have serious consequences.

In instances like this, there is also an increased risk of potential damage to any goods being stored. Damages that occur in the warehouse often mean having to pay your client for any replacements – as well as a grovelling apology.

Or course, you can’t be everywhere at once so it’s up to your employees to notify management if they suspect the company’s pallet storage and other related equipment is not being used properly. It’s essential that all warehouse staff know just how important proper use of pallet storage is.