Pallet Rack Installation Tips

The DIY approach can work in many situations, but when it comes to installing a pallet racking system, it’s best to leave it to experienced professionals. It’s not that we question your team’s skills, but we have countless hours of experience installing racking systems across a wide range of sites—both indoor and outdoor. This expertise has taught us the subtle details that are essential for a safe and effective installation. What are these critical details? The first may seem unexciting—some might even say "boring"—but it’s absolutely vital to get right.

Before Installation: Personal Protective Equipment

Effective personal protective equipment (PPE) goes beyond special tools; it requires strict adherence to standards for optimal safety. Check if everything matches:

1. Review OSHA Standards: Familiarize yourself with OSHA’s specific standards for for different industries. OSHA requires that many PPE categories meet or be equivalent to ANSI standards. You can find these requirements through OSHA resources.
2. Conduct a PPE Assessment: OSHA mandates that employers assess potential hazards to identify necessary PPE. This includes protection against chemical, radiological, physical, or mechanical risks.
3. Provide Training: It should cover why PPE is necessary, how to wear it correctly, its limitations, and how to recognize signs of wear that indicate the need for replacement.
4. Ensure Proper Fit: Comfort is key. Ill-fitting PPE can compromise its effectiveness and make employees less likely to wear it consistently.
5. Implement Regular Maintenance: For critical equipment like safety harnesses, thorough inspection protocols are essential, as even minor damage can reduce protection.
6. Foster a Safety-First Culture: Supervisors and management should lead by example, wearing PPE themselves and reinforcing its importance to employees. PPE should be seen as a protective measure, not a punishment.

Once you’ve established a PPE plan, you’re ready to move on to the next step: understanding the pallet racking installation process.

Pallet Rack Installation Process

As we’ve written before, you should do some pre-planning for the installation: measure the dimensions of the storage area, develop a detailed installation plan, verify CAD drawings and installation schedule, check the floor, and prepare materials and tools.?

han, you will need a team and a certified forklift operator to install pallet racking.

• Position the First Two Uprights: Using the chalk line as a guide, install the first two uprights at the bay width specified in the installation drawings.
• Mark Beam Locations: Starting at the bottom of each upright, measure up to each beam location and mark them with a permanent marker on both front and rear uprights of the starter rack section.

• Install Rear Beams: Begin with the bottom rear beam, working upwards to the top. Hook the beam connectors into the teardrop openings on the uprights and secure each connector with a safety clip.
• Install Front Beams: Move to the front of the starter section, starting with the top beam and working down. Secure each front beam connector with safety clips.

• Check Alignment: Ensure the rack is plumb and level. Measure diagonally between posts; measurements should match at both the ground level and the top of the uprights.
• Add Shims as Needed: Insert shims between the baseplate and floor-to-level columns if required. Shim size should be equal to or larger than the baseplate. Allowable Out-of-Plumb Tolerance: Total Rack Height / 240

1. For a 144” frame, tolerance = 0.6”
2. For a 240” frame, tolerance = 1”
3. For a 360” frame, tolerance = 1.5”

• Anchor Uprights Properly: Ensure all bays are plumb before anchoring. Each baseplate should have its own anchor, with column protectors anchored separately. Additional holes in the baseplate allow re-anchoring if an anchor becomes damaged during installation.
• Continue with Additional Bays: Once the starter bay is installed correctly, continue adding bays, verifying each one is plumb and level before proceeding to the next.

If you’d rather not install pallet racks yourself, just give us a call at 503-640-5666.

Different types of pallet rack

Pallet racking consists of uprights, beams, and decking. To identify the brand of rack you are using or considering, pay attention to the connections between the upright columns and the cross beams. Here is a collection of some of the most common types of pallet racking you might deal with in your warehouse or facility.

“The shape of the teardrop pin will not fit the narrower, oblong-shaped opening of the new style racks. However, you can use a new style beam with a traditional teardrop frame.” John Geddes

– Can you use teardrop frames with new style beams? YES

– Can you use new style frames with teardrop beams? NO

It’s essential to know the type of racking you currently have and the style you’re considering to ensure compatibility.

Selective Pallet Rack Installation: Attention to Detail

When installing selective pallet racks, it’s crucial to pay close attention to specific details. Now, move on to the clearance space, support pallet loads, column protector, rack accessories, etc.

Recommended Clearance Space

One critical factor to consider in pallet racking installation is the recommended clearance space, which refers to the minimum distance between racking components and walls. This clearance is essential to allow for vibration caused by seismic events or regular handling operations. Unless a seismic analysis has been performed to precisely determine rack movement, current standards specify the following minimum clearance requirements:

Down-Aisle Direction: 5% of the racking height from the building walls.

Cross-Aisle Direction: 2% of the racking height from the building walls.

To calculate the necessary storage rack clearance, multiply the height of your pallet rack by 0.05 for down-aisle clearance or by 0.02 for cross-aisle clearance. For instance, if your pallet rack is 240 inches tall (20 feet), the required clearance would be 12 inches (5% of 240) in the down-aisle direction and 4.8 inches (2% of 240) in the cross-aisle direction.

If the top beam height is fixed and unlikely to change over time, you may use this height instead of the total rack height for clearance calculations.

Clearance isn’t limited to wall distances; it also includes spacing between the load and sprinkler systems, walkways, pallet overhang, and the distance between the load and overhead beams. Each type of clearance contributes to the safety and functionality of your warehouse storage system.

Support for Pallet Loads

Depending on how the pallet or container is positioned on the rack, you may need to add extra support to the beams. For instance, galvanized pallet supports can be installed perpendicular to the beams to provide additional stability. These supports are especially useful when pallets are placed with their lower skids parallel to the beams or when pallet quality is insufficient. Typically, two supports are recommended for each pallet to ensure safe and secure storage.

Raised pallet supports are designed for storing pallets without skids, providing a stable platform for these types of loads.

For containers with legs instead of skids, container supports are used to safely hold them on the racks. Typically, two supports are placed per container—one on the right and one on the left. These container supports can also be fitted with end-stops, which are bolted to the back of each support to prevent the container from shifting.

Another interesting option: reel supports or reel rack axle brackets are ideal for storing cable reels. They attach to existing pallet rack uprights just as a standard pallet rack beam would. Each pair of these reel holders can support up to 2,000 lbs.

Column Protectors

Column protectors are essential for safeguarding rack uprights against accidental impact from forklifts and other warehouse equipment, reducing damage and prolonging the life of the racking system. Guard rails are a highly effective option, often able to withstand impacts up to 10,000 pounds, and are available in various sizes from three to nine feet to suit different rack configurations and spaces. Additionally, advanced options like the RAMGuard offer even greater protection with a patented Rubber Armored Metal design, delivering superior durability compared to traditional column guards.

Rack Accessories

When adding accessories like decking, fall protection mesh, and shelf dividers, it’s essential to consider both installation time and proper setup. For example, mesh shelves easily fit onto beams without requiring additional securing, making them a quick and straightforward option. Safety straps are also simple to install and offer reliable support with a burst strength of up to 2,400 lbs.

On the other hand, cross braces—flat profiles installed on supports attached to the frames—require more time and expertise to install. Each cross brace has a tensioner to provide the necessary rigidity. Installing these components correctly is crucial for ensuring rack stability and warehouse safety.

Pallet Racking Installation Services

So, do you prefer DIY approach or contact a specialized company? Choosing a company with the right expertise and experience is key to a smooth and successful setup. Here’s what to look for when selecting installation services:

Extensive Experience: Opt for a team with years of experience in the industry and a strong understanding of current installation techniques and standards.

Dedicated Project Management: A dedicated project manager should oversee every step, from the initial site visit to the final inspection, to keep the project on track.

Professional Installation Team: The team should be courteous and professional, wearing uniforms that clearly identify them as part of the company.

Need a professional installation team?nbsp;Call us at 503-640-5666

Understanding of Specific Needs: Installers should work closely with you to fully understand your specific requirements, including storage capacity, weight limits, and accessibility needs.

Turn-Key Project Management: Seek a company offering turn-key services, handling everything from design and engineering to installation and final inspection.

Free Quotes: A reputable company should provide free, no-obligation quotes for their services, so you know exactly what to expect.

Get a free quote here!

Timely Completion: The installation team should work efficiently to minimize any impact on your daily operations. At Speedrack West, we’re dedicated to providing top-notch pallet rack installation and maintenance services that check all these boxes. Our experienced team is skilled in installing a wide range of pallet racking systems, ensuring each project is customized to meet our customers’ unique requirements. After installation, we also provide guidance to help make the warehouse permitting process as smooth as possible. If you have more questions, call us at 503-640-5666 or get a quote!

This article was written by Oleksandra Horbenko