Although every company would like to have an accident free warehouse, accidents do happen.  Many accidents occur using a forklift to load or unload pallet rack.  In the pictures below, the cage on the front of the fork hit the bottom beam and pulled the beam off of the frame.  This caused two pallets to fall through the rack as well as damage to the frame and beam.  After dealing with the initial cleanup, how would you handle the rack damage?

Should Damaged Pallet Rack Frames and Beams be Replaced?

Should Damaged Pallet Rack Frames and Beams be Replaced?

The Rack Manufacturers Institute (RMI) Specification states, “Upon any visible damage, the pertinent portions of the rack shall be unloaded immediately by the user and the damaged portion shall be adequately repaired or replaced.”  The RMI further states if the damage were to re-occur, the application of the racks should be reviewed to see if modifications could be made to lessen the severity or the frequency of the damage.  Forklift driver training is essential.

If we apply this to our initial scenario, the frame and beam in this section of rack should be replaced before reloading the bays.  Some companies might contemplate bending the beam back to its original state and using nuts/bolts to secure the beam, but the frame and beam cannot be deemed safe unless an engineering evaluation is completed.  The engineer conducting the evaluation should be from the pallet rack manufacturer or an engineer experienced in the design of storage racks.

If you have any questions, please contact us at 888-578-1579.  We will be happy to help!

Sources: RMI