Some Tips to Make Your Warehouse Safer With the Right Equipment

Warehouses are necessary if you're running a medium-scale to large-scale business. Safety in warehouses is also something that can't be stressed enough. If you're setting up your industrial business, then you should know that the safety of your crew should always be your top priority while you're shopping for equipment and storage equipment. Give some tips on how to find the right warehouse safety equipment.

Make a list of all the safety needs of your warehouse

Before setting out to look for good suppliers of warehouse equipment, you should make a comprehensive list of all of the items you'll need to keep your warehouse safe. Will you be handling and transporting liquids in your warehouse? If these don't come in spill-containment vats, yet, you should include sealed vats and drums in your list as well. You should also include spill-containment berms, along with the necessary sizes you'll require for both transportation and warehouse storage needs.

Next, consider what kind of storage equipment you'll need. Pallet racks are economical storage equipment if you're keeping heavy materials which can be exposed to its environment. Harmful chemicals, on the other hand, may need to be contained in refrigerated or heated areas. You'll have to purchase sealed containers as well as temperature-regulating equipment to preserve these chemicals. These enclosed spaces will also keep your crew safe from harm.

It's a must for any warehouse to have carts, forklifts, and possibly even larger cranes to transport its heavy materials from one point of the warehouse to another. When shopping for storage and lifting equipment, check the weight capacity of every machine, cart, or rack. Don't settle for equipment that has a low weight capacity. Most warehouse accidents happen because people overload forklifts and racks.

Look for a good equipment provider

Don't just settle for the cheapest deal when you're shopping for safety equipment. Do your research and gauge the credibility of your equipment provider. You'd want a firm that can live up to your expectations and be liable enough just in case any of the warehouse safety solutions you've purchase from them turn out to be defective. Look at how long they've been operating in the field, and don't be afraid to ask for testimonials from previous clients.

Warranties would also work to your advantage when it comes to warehouse safety solutions. You'd want to get at least a year's worth of service warranty for your forklifts and pallet racks.

As soon as you've found a provider for all the big safety solutions you'll be using on your warehouse, it's time to arm your men. Be very strict about clothing rules, and make sure they wear all the necessary gloves, goggles, and hard caps while they're inside your warehouse. Make sure they don't overload racks and lifting equipment. Sometimes, the safety of the crew doesn't just depend on how well-manufactured the storage and lifting solutions are. Their safety also relies on how well they follow simple house rules. Implement fines for those who refuse to stick to your ground rules, and keep them well-oriented about the consequences of mishandling warehouse equipment.

Warehouse Storage Systems of Pallet Racks, Mezzanines and ASRs

The technology that is associated with warehouse storage systems has improved dramatically in the last few years. There are now automated warehouse management systems (WMS) and robot forklifts that are guided by laser lights. There are numerous types of storage options that are better designed to not only improve space utilization but also efficiency.

Pallet racking is a technique that utilizes racks so that goods can be stored in multiple levels above the ground therefore making better use of the available space. Instead of being limited to the storage of just one pallet, the racking systems allows for stacking of up to four or five levels, increasing space utilization many times over.

There are various adaptations of the racking system. Total cost is dependent on the upgrades selected. Generally, the pallet rack system ranks in the middle of the road in terms of cost. It is not the most expensive nor is it the cheapest. This system is an excellent method to store goods and with a roller scheme included, the pallets can easily be moved in and out in either direction. There are also excellent racking systems for storing heavy materials.

The pallet rack is clean, efficient and requires little maintenance. Because it is sturdy and re-usable, it can be moved from location to location. Used or refurbished pallet racking can be purchased to cut down on costs.

There are two disadvantages to the pallet rack system. Because all materials that are being stored must be on pallets to be moveable, a substantial inventory of pallets is required. The other disadvantage is that in order to fully utilize the system, fork lift trucks must be able to reach pallets that are high above the ground.

The mezzanine storage system is a less expensive method to make the best use of available warehouse space. It is typically a structure that is constructed between the main floors to store additional supplies or equipment. It is less expensive than other systems and can be moved from location to location.

The mezzanine storage system is best used in conditions where there is not an excessive amount of product to warehouse. In a large scale operation, this would not be the optimum method to employ. However, the cost is lower than that of other systems.

ASRS - Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems is a fairly recent system introduced for warehouse storage. This is a complex system that utilizes computers to store and recall materials by storage location. Floor space is maximized because there is not a height constraint by the fork lift operator.

The ASRS system is extremely adaptable and can be used to warehouse both large and small products. There is significant savings because the system is automated and requires less man power. In spite of the smaller man power requirement, this system is more expensive to install than either the mezzanine system or the pallet system, plus there are high maintenance expenses connected to the ASRS operation.

Space, labor, and product damage are expensive components to a warehouse operation. Fortunately, there are many effective and cost reducing storage systems that are available which can be tailored to specific needs.