The Effects of Overloading Your Pallet Racking System

14 November 2019

​Overloading your pallet racking system can have catastrophic outcomes for your warehouse, stock, staff and equipment.

Pallet Racking Systems are designed and engineered to have specific weight limits and load capacities. When space is limited or more space is required during a seasonal peak it might seem tempting to overstock pallets or overload your racking system with more pallets than recommended. However, placing an excessive weight on these structures could lead to collapse.

Safety:

• Staff safety should be your number one priority.
• Placing excessive weight upon your pallet racking could lead to collapse, resulting in injury or death.
• Poorly stacked, overfilled pallets could lead to pallets or stock falling, resulting in injury or death.

Stock:

• If your structure collapses your stock will be destroyed. Depending on the type of stock that is loaded this could time lead to a large downtime for a warehouse.
• Overloading your pallets may cause damage to items positioned lower in the pallet that are not meant to handle the excessive pressure.
• It takes longer in a cluttered warehouse to locate stock.

Equipment:

• Stretching the limits of stored stock can put your forklift into overdrive.
• Carrying too much stock places strain on your equipment.

Correct installation, well designed solutions, the use of high-quality components that are tested and conform to the Australian Standard (AS4084:2012), racking protection, timely repairs and routine inspections will contribute to maintaining the integrity of your racking system. However, efforts to maintaining your pallet racking systems also mean avoiding placing excessive weight upon them. Signage is also required on all pallet racking to be compliant with the Australian Standards AS 40484-2012. Load signs should be displayed to show the loads applied to a particular rack.

If you are outgrowing your existing setup and have too many pallets or stock for your warehouse never overload your system, consider other alternatives such as reconfiguring your warehouse or investing in a customised high-density storage system.

We understand no two warehouses are the same. APC's experts can help improve the efficiency and design of your warehouse by designing a customised solution to meet your warehouse layout, operation and load requirements. Available in a range of configurations, APC's Pallet Racking Systems can help you take advantage of your space including maximising the height of your warehouse. Additionally, many of APC's racking systems can be extended in height to accommodate additional pallets. Whether you need direct access to every pallet, First In, First Out (FIFO) stock rotation, an automated solution or high-density solution, APC can advise you on the most efficient and cost-effective solution for your warehouse.