Loading Pallets Correctly to Ensure Warehouse Safety

Warehouses are one of the most common places in a business where health and safety related injuries or risks occur. Many warehouse health and safety issues are the result of improper handling of hazardous and heavy loads.

We often don't know if we are vulnerable to unstable pallet loads until it is too late. It is well known that few operations check the load stability or performance of their stretch film and procedures. Pallet wrapping machine manufacturer shares with you.

Here are some basics on how to load pallets for transport and shipping in the safest way possible.

Checking the weight

When loading pallets, make sure that you check the holding weight of the pallet and that your product does not exceed this weight.

Heavy boxes first

When arranging pallets, try to place heavy items on the bottom to create a stronger base to hold the box on top and to prevent lower items from being crushed.

Bricklaying method

Lay out boxes in a similar way to bricklaying, for example by having them face in opposite directions or rotating the boxes on each level while still ensuring the shapes lock into each other. This method will help stop them moving around.

Avoiding draping

Although placing the boxes on the edge of the pallet helps to balance the weight distribution, allowing them to drape can cause real problems, so please avoid this if possible.

Strapping correctly

There are many different types of strapping available, including steel, nylon and polyester. Choose the best material for your product's strength needs and consider materials like corner and edge protectors for products that need extra support.

Runhua--Smart Wasp X1000

When to use stretch wrap machines

If you are wrapping multiple pallets per day, it may be worth considering whether a pallet wrapping machine is right for your business. A stretch wrap machine will ultimately take strain off staff and greatly reduce any risk and ensure your pallets are wrapped to a high standard every time. Wrapping pallets with a machine can also save your business even more money and time.

But there are still risks associated with using machine stretch wrap. One of these is ensuring that you are using the correct film for your pallets and that your machines are set up and used correctly. SMARTWASP offers expert advice to assess which stretch film you should use.

We recommend that companies carry out regular load safety audits to ensure the safety of your own employees. For questions about wrapping machines and stretch film, please contact us for further advice.