USED PALLET RACKING? 5 REASONS TO THINK TWICE
July 27, 2021
Looking for bargain basement prices on second-hand racking?
It’s the cheap, economical way to go, isn’t it?
Umm… Not really. Cheap yes. Economical – No.
Cut-rate, pre-owned racking isn’t always the cost-effective way forward, and can in fact cost you a lot more in the long-run.
Here’s why.
1) Certification
All racking installations are required to have a weight capacity certified by an engineer.
Calculating racking weight capacities is much more complicated than just determining the beam strength. The weight capacity is often limited by the frame strength, and it changes depending on the spacing between beams. Do not attempt to calculate this yourself. Don’t create your own capacity stickers or placards – this must be done by a qualified professional. Why? Because you care. Your people need protection from injury, and business operators need protection from liability.
According to the Oxford dictionary, certified means: officially recognized as possessing certain qualifications or meeting certain standards.
It’s also very difficult and costly to certify certain discontinued styles of racking that are often sold used, but are no longer available new on the market.
2) Responsibility
The manufacturer’s name must be stamped on the components.
Like anything else that matters, racking has to be traceable. How else will you know that the components are reliable?
3) No Rust or Dents Allowed
Used racking often has surface rust or small dings, dents, and deformations.
A CNESST inspection is likely to condemn any frames that have these issues.
The result? Money invested is wasted, racks must be unloaded and disassembled, frames have to be replaced – all at significant cost.
4) Correct Installation
Installing racking may seem simple, but the CNESST has very specific regulations covering every aspect of a racking installation, including the size and type of anchors used, the direction of the frames, the types of fasteners, the end of row protections, and many other important details.
A professional racking installation plan carried out by trained installers is the best way to ensure that you don’t invest time and effort into something that has to be redone later.
5) Seismic Testing
2022 is heading our way. At that point every piece of racking will need to have been seismic tested.
So to sum it all up, cheap does not automatically = economical.
It might look more like this: Certified quality components + skilled installation = safe and efficient warehouse