3 Pallet Flow Safety Risks You Need to Know

3 Pallet Flow Safety Risks You Need to Know

Pallet flow racks, also known as gravity flow racks, use inclined roller tracks or wheels to move pallets toward the front of the rack. While this seems efficient, they also come with risks. Keep these in mind while you are shopping for the best pallet rack for you. 

Pallet Flow Racks

Pallet Jamming

A common issue with pallet flow racks is pallet jamming. When you remove the front pallet from the rack, the pallets behind slide down. As they slide, they can become stuck or jammed. This can cause damage to the pallets, your inventory, and the racking. Jamming also poses risks for your workers who need to try to get it unstuck. Other pallet racks don’t have this functionality, and therefore don’t have this issue.

Fire Safety Issues

Pallet flow racks are a high-density storage solution. This may seem efficient, but it poses a fire safety hazard. Since everything is so tightly packed, the flow of water is impeded from overhead sprinklers or other water sources. This can speed up the spread of fire, cause more damage to your products and slow down emergency responders if a fire were to occur. Other pallet racks aren’t so tightly packed and are safer in the event of a fire.

Pallet Flow Hazards

Another unique issue with pallet flow racks is speed-related hazards. When a pallet is removed, gravity pulls the ones behind it to the front. You don’t have control over how fast the pallets travel. This poses a serious risk of pallets falling off of the rack, especially if it has too much weight on it. Your workers, inventory, and racking are at a high risk of injury in the event pallets fall off of your rack in this manner. This feature of pallet flow racking also creates pinch-points, yet another risk for your workers. 

For these reasons, Simply Rack doesn’t offer pallet flow racks. We care about the safety of you, your workers, and your inventory. A great alternative to pallet flow racks is selective pallet racking, which we happily provide! If you need help finding the perfect pallet rack for you, contact us today!