Pallet racking is an increasingly common sight in warehouses these days. Their benefits have long been known to most warehouse managers and designers, but thanks to the ever-increasing need for retail warehouses and product distribution centres to use their space as effectively as possible, pallet racks have become more popular in recent times thanks to their ability to compact a lot of product into a small, convenient space.

If you haven’t installed pallet racks yet, or if you just need to figure out how to make the most of the racks you already have, you might be surprised to learn how much can go into pallet rack optimization to get them to work harder for you.

Here’s a few tips on how to make the most out of any new, used, or currently existing pallet rack, and what they can do for you:

Get some help from an expert

There’s no shame in admitting you need a hand with your warehouse at times, particularly in regards to new racking for your warehouse.

The first step should always be to try and contact whoever you plan on buying the racks from to discuss your needs.

Even above and beyond getting a quote, they can help you identify which kinds of pallet rack will best fit your needs (as there’s going to be a lot more types than you may be expecting) and how to best integrate it with the rest of the warehouse storage you might already have. Speaking of…

Understand how it will work with the rest of your shelving

One of the most common issues with pallet racks is integrating it with the shelving and storage you already have without costly renovations or the risk of running out of space.

Take a look at your current shelves, wire shelving, and the like, and ask yourself a few questions:

= Do I have a designated area my new pallet racks can be installed?

= Will these pallet racks interfere with my fire prevention/sprinkler system?

= How much space do I have in my aisles for these racks? Will aisle space need to be increased to accommodate for the new racks?

= What will be stored on it? Do I have room to keep products safely separated, especially in the case of more fragile/sensitive/flammable products?

= How will items be packaged and stored on the pallets themselves?

These are all good questions to ask yourself before installing any shelving, but pallet racks in particular will benefit from a thorough review of your current layout.

Get permits where they’re needed

A lot of warehouse managers are unaware of this step, but in many cases you may be required to get a permit to install pallet racks and/or perform modifications on your warehouse.

This will obviously vary depending on local restrictions and government regulations, but it will be more than worth your while to look into these regulations before taking any big steps towards renovating your warehouse.

Research local regulations for things like sprinkler systems, commodity classes (and the proper storage thereof), emergency lighting layouts, and the like, and make sure your new pallet racks won’t break any of these regulations. You’ll be glad you took the time to do your research.

After following these steps your pallet racks should be working harder than ever before.

Get in Touch with Advanced Handling & Storage

If you want to maximise your warehouse space through the use of second hand or new pallet racking, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on 0800 345 7088 or send an email to [email protected]

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