The Basic Pallet Cage Safety Guide

The Basic Pallet Cage Safety Guide
The Basic Pallet Cage Safety Guide teaser

30 Jan 2020

Using pallet cages for storage, receiving and shipping goods is an effective way of improving operational safety in all types of facilities. Our range of fixed and collapsible pallet cages at Backsafe Australia make materials handling processes safer by preventing goods from moving or falling from a pallet when being put into storage or when stock is being transported, while our WERKS zinc pallet cages are designed with a unique position locking bar that prevents any movement when stacked on pallet racking.
 
As an added safety feature, our WERKS pallet cages can also be fitted with a lid to ensure that any goods contained within are not able to fall out and injure staff or damage stock.
 
Nevertheless, warehouses and logistics facilities can be high risk environments and so there are some basic safety processes that you can put in place when transporting pallet cages, or moving them on and off pallet shelving, that mean you are operating safely and avoiding workplace accidents.
 

What capacity loads can Pallet Cages handle?

Good practice when it comes to materials handling dictates that you don’t overload any form of storage or transport container, and pallet cages are no exception.

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The WERKS pallet cages that we stock, including our double width and zinc pallet cages, are designed to have a 1,000kg load capacity, making them suitable for storing or transporting a wide variety of goods and equipment, including heavy duty machinery such as that used in mining and agriculture. We can also deliver customised pallet cages if you have other specific haulage or storage needs.
 

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However, not all pallet cages are as robust as ours, and so it is always important to know the load capacity of any pallet cages you’re using in your facility to ensure that they can be lifted by a fork lift or pallet truck safely without the structural integrity being compromised through being overloaded.
 

How to manage materials handling and warehouse safety

Pallet cages will generally be moved, lifted or loaded using either a fork lift or a pallet jack. One of the best ways in which you can improve materials handling procedures involving pallet cages is to ensure that your facility has clear and well organised traffic flow, so that any vehicles moving in, out or around your warehouse do so in a controlled way, thereby reducing the possibility of collisions.
 

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In particular, ensuring safe forklift operation is essential (Safe Work Australia estimates that 2%-3% of all Australian workplace fatalities involve a fork lift). In areas where pallet cages are regularly being lifted on to or taken from pallet racking, or loaded onto trucks, there should ideally be safety barriers that separate forklift and foot traffic. If this isn’t possible, there should always be clear signage indicating that it is a shared area.


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Keep your Pallet Racking system in good order to store pallet cages safely

A well designed and robust pallet racking system is a way of ensuring that you are not only handling pallet cages as safely as possible, but more efficiently as well.

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It’s important, therefore, to ensure that the pallet racking is in good order and devoid of rust or corrosion, and that there are no signs of stress or bending. In particular, you should check that the shelves are not tilting or have become uneven, which can happen if they are regularly overloaded. This can lead to pallets becoming dislodged, potentially resulting in personal injury or damage to stock.
 
It also good safety practice to ensure that collapsible pallet cages are stored securely on your racking when not in use so that they don’t get damaged in such a way as makes them less stable and safe to use.
 

Backsafe Australia for Pallet Cages in Perth

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We stock an extensive range of pallet cages, stillages and storage cages that can help to maintain workplace safety in your transport or logistics facility.
 
Call us on 1300 305 314 or email Backsafe Australia to learn more.

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