Your warehouse racking system enables you to store massive amounts of product in a relatively small space. It’s essential for you to stay on top of your warehouse, and practicing pallet racking maintenance as often as possible will ensure that the system remains in the best shape possible. This sounds easy, but it’s hard to establish a best practice for how often you should be inspecting your pallet racks. Look here to find out how often you should be inspecting your pallet rack decking.

Set a Yearly Schedule for a Comprehensive Inspection

It’s no secret that pallet rack decking takes the brunt of forceful interactions that forklifts have on pallet racking systems. Luckily, these systems are constructed from hardy materials, which means you can expect them to last for a significant amount of time, even under heavy use. As such, it may be a great idea to set a yearly schedule for a comprehensive inspection to ensure your pallet racks are in good condition. During this comprehensive inspection, you must inspect all bolts, brackets, and other conjoining parts to ensure the pallet racking system is still in operable condition.

Assess as You Go

Even if you have a yearly inspection in place, assessing the pallet rack’s condition as you go is still essential. Because pallet rack systems are in constant use throughout the day, there are many things that could happen to them that could cause them to fail. This does not mean you have to set a schedule for a weekly or even a monthly inspection. Rather, it means you must assess the condition of the pallet racks as you use them to ensure you are using them in the safest manner possible.

OSHA Inspections Are Key

When all else fails, you can always rely on OSHA to give you guidance on how to set up your pallet rack systems. OSHA will often send inspectors who will give your warehouse a safety grade, meaning that they will likely catch the mistakes that you made in the past. While it is not a good idea for you to rely on OSHA to point out your mistakes and alert you to all issues, it does help give you some peace of mind in knowing someone will be able to check your work after it is done.

We hope this guide has helped you understand how often you should be inspecting your pallet rack decking. If you are looking to upgrade your pallet rack decking to steel rack decking or any other high-strength material, be sure to reach out to Rack Safety Products today.