Before we get things started, it is important that you realize the significance of the warehouse inspection task. Safety and compliance, two words that best describe why the inspection task must be done seamlessly. As a business owner or manager, you have a legal and moral responsibility to protect your staff/colleagues and reduce the risk of accidents in your workplace. One way to do this is by ensuring the quality of your warehouse equipment. You should immediately pause and seek clarification, should you doubt the safety, reliability, or quality of your racking systems. You are expected to escalate and correct hazards as soon as you identify them. You can refer to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Act) as your primary compliance resource.
Are you qualified to do the inspection?
The inspection tasks are expected from highly trained compliance officers but can be initiated without any advice or notice when deemed necessary. OSHA offers a variety of services from free confidential advice, programs, and services to help employers identify hazards and prevent occupational accidents from happening. There are also free on-site consultations for small and medium-sized businesses. There are companies who offer warehouse solutions/services which can help you save time as you cover everything you need to know to be an eligible inspector.
What should you prepare before you start?
As the inspector, you should also protect yourself from unexpected hazards while performing your tasks. You are also expected to document your findings and have the tools necessary to improve your decision-making.
Here is your go-to list of things to prepare:
a hard hat.
a HVSA (High-visibility safety apparel).
a straight edge or spirit level.
a bright flashlight.
a pen and paper or digital application to track your findings*.
*You might ask the company servicing your rack repair how they prefer to receive damage reports.
How do you begin?
Now that we have established how important the task is, what are the qualifications you need and where to get them and prepare the tools we will be using, we should now be ready to execute. To start with the actual inspection, you are then expected to:
Know your pallet rack system (all its parts, corresponding function, and location).
Know your organization and the roles and responsibilities of each personnel.
Define a hazard coding scheme with precise thresholds.
Define a status system with timestamps.
Track and document your findings and recommendations.
If you’re using an app to track damages, you may not need this, but here is a sample you can use for starters:
Part: Upright Post 0023
Code: Red
Status: Identified
Timestamp: 02/01/2023 08:35 PM
Assigned to: Warehouse Manager
To do: Needs to be replaced, part is beyond repair.
You should make sure that every nook and cranny of your racking system gets checked. Skipping areas, whether deliberately or by accident, might put all your effort into waste. A single faulty brace can trigger a sequence of accidents. Your checklist should include a way for you to track if all areas are covered up to a hundred percent.
Just as a reminder of what is at stake, this is what a warehouse collapse looks like:
It really only takes the failure of one beam or upright, and the whole thing is a house of cards.
What should you do next?
Once you’re done with the actual task, make sure that your documentation is endorsed to the appropriate entity and schedule the next pallet rack repair. This activity must be done regularly depending on the movements in your warehouse but can be triggered in between schedules when necessary.
Qualified and Confident!
You can now rest assured that your warehouse is relatively safe from accidents caused by faulty pallet rack. You should now be confident to share the practices you learned with another colleague who may handle this responsibility when you’re not available. Congratulations! You can now call yourself a qualified Pallet Rack Inspector. Click here to download Yankee Supply’s pallet rack inspection checklist and redesign it based on your own warehouse’s needs.
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Yankee Supply is an industry leader in warehouse and material handling supply. We have over 40 years of experience. Learn more about us
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