Your pallet racking system is the backbone of your warehouse, supporting the flow of inventory, assisting your operation and improving productivity making it an invaluable part of your business. But did you know that the capabilities and sustainability of your pallet racking system can be further enhanced with additional fixtures and accessories designed to support and protect the structure?With the right accessories you can ensure the safety of your workforce, your inventory and your warehouse as a whole whilst gaining maximum support for your operation. WSL in collaboration with our RackingPlus online catalogue offer a comprehensive range of pallet racking accessories and other useful auxiliaries designed to contribute to a safe and highly productive warehouse.
Storage System and Pallet Racking Accessories
Working in partnership with your pallet racking and other storage systems, these cleverly designed additions to your storage structure can play a major role in productivity as well as safety:
Decking–Available in wire mesh, timber panels, steel or chipboard, adding decks to you pallet racking system will ensure small dimensional loads can be stored without risk of them falling between the beams. The decking material will depend greatly on the weight of the items stored with steel being the most robust and chipboard being the least durable. Decks extend between the front and back beams of both pallet racking and shelving systems creating a secure shelf on which items can be stored. You can find more details to help distinguish the differences and benefits of each type in our Choosing the right decking type for your racking or shelving system page
Anti Collapse Mesh – Installed around the back-face of your pallet racking or shelving system to prevent items from falling, anti collapse mesh is a popular solution which ensures the safety of employees and inventory. Items positioned at the rear of the upper level shelf or rack can be hidden from frontal view which can lead to them being accidentally moved or pushed further towards the rear exposed edge. These wired mesh panels act as a safeguard, preventing items from falling and becoming damaged or even worse, causing significant injury to employees. The mesh configuration enables visibility from behind the racks whilst allowing light and airflow through the racks. Anti collapse mesh is often used around warehouse mezzanine floor staircases to further protect the staircase and employees whilst allowing clear visibility. It’s also a popular choice for mezzanine floor edge protection infill as its durability can better withhold knocks and bumps from moving handling equipment on the upper deck than glass.
Handrails–Keep your warehouse structured and organised using handrails which are vital to ensuring the safety of employees as they move around the warehouse. A busy warehouse with moving forklift trucks carrying loaded pallets can add vulnerability to employees traveling within the warehouse on foot. Handrails will help segregate different activities and provide specific walkway areas allowing employees to move safely. Handrails are available in easy to clean stainless steel which is especially critical as the covid19 pandemic continues.
Protection Barriers–Located at either end of your pallet racking system and at the bottom of the uprights along the racking aisle, protection barriers create a shield which protects the structure itself from accidental knocks and bumps from moving handling equipment. Pallet racking is a heavy duty, robust structure however continuous collisions from moving forklift trucks near the base of can weaken its strength under the weight of the loads above. If weakening continues over a period of time the outcome of a collapse is unthinkable. Protection barriers combined with periodic rack inspections can play a vital role in preventing such a serious incident by ensuring the safety of your pallet racking system is maintained
Weight Load Notices and Bay Markers–Essential to pallet racking safety, weight load notices give clear indication of how much weight load your pallet racking system is designed to safely hold. By displaying these notices at various locations on the pallet racking system they provide a quick reference to operatives loading the racks keeping them safe whilst carrying out their duties. Bay markers make it easy for operatives to navigate the racking or shelving aisles and find their desired location quickly. Weight load notices and bay markers can be easily mounted onto the racks and custom made to suit your operation.
Other useful warehouse accessories
Handling Accessories
Forklift trucks are typically used to move and lift pallets and other items too large and heavy to handle manually. This being said it may be worth investing in smaller handling equipment to save time, money and resources when moving singular pallets or boxes from A to B across the floor level or to help transport items to and from a goods lift. Pallet trucks are particularly useful for manually moving a single pallet and sack trucks, platform trolleys or role cages are handy for moving multiple boxes in one go around the warehouse safely and efficiently.
Workstation Accessories
Workstations, workbenches, cupboards and drawers keep items and working areas organised within a dedicated area without taking too much space. These are particularly useful in fast paced logistical warehouses requiring the efficient completion of various tasks such as packing and sorting on a daily basis.
Steps and Ladders
If you’re looking for ways to access singular items from upper level storage structures, movable warehouse ladders or mobile steps are ideal. Mounted on wheel bases with a braking system for stability and safety they allow direct access to items stored at over head level whenever required.
Winter ready accessories
Luckily here in the UK we don’t have high volumes of continuous snow during winter months but we often take this for granted and are often caught out and unprepared when snow does enter through our sky’s. Make your warehouse winter ready so you don’t suffer from the hold ups snow can cause. Grit bins don’t take up much room and can be kept outdoors and are invaluable when you find yourself in a situation where you need them. With a grit bin on the ready you can grit your yard so that delivery trucks and employees can enter and leave safely. The cleverly designed detachable snow plough is another useful accessory which will help you clear the way so business can continue during snow days. The plough attaches easily onto the forklift truck so with minimal effort you can have your yard clear from snow in no time.
Employee PPE Accessories
Providing your employees with personal protective equipment (PPE) is vital to ensuring their safety. PPE can include high visibility jackets, durable footwear, overalls or gloves and the requirements will vary in accordance to tasks and the environment. Since the Covid19 outbreak specific PPE including face masks, visors and gloves are an essential part of working life in many workplaces, including warehouse environments. See the official UK Government guidelines for more details outlining PPE requirements in all settings.
If you’re looking to add some additional support to your storage system, warehouse or workplace why not call our team today on 0113 2045350 or email us at sales@wslmail.co.uk. Or take a look through our RackingPlus website where you will find lots of useful products and some great ideas