PALLET SAFETY

Make pallet safety a part of your every day operation.

From receiving product at your back door to moving items internally, pallets are part of a warehouse daily life. Since they are so commonplace, employees don’t always think about proper safety steps in the handling or use of pallets. Below are a few safety tips to remember when using pallets in your operation.

Wood Pallet Safety

Look at the pallet before you pick it up to make sure no nails are sticking out. Rusty nails, typically found in wood pallets, can puncture the skin causing Tetanus.
Use gloves when handling and stacking older, seasoned pallets to prevent cuts and punctures from slivers.
Never walk across the top of a wood pallet. There may be protruding nails, or the boards might collapse.
Dispose of broken, heavily used pallets.

How to Store Pallets

Never store a pallet standing up on its side. Always lay pallets flat on the ground or in stacks. A falling pallet can hurt someone walking or working nearby.
Lay the first pallet of a stack flat on the ground, and slide the next one to the side of the stack. Using proper lifting motion, slide the pallet up the side of the stack and onto the top.
Don’t manually stack pallets more than 7 or 8 high – use forklifts to make stacks higher.

Merchandising with Pallets

Check pallets that are used for floor displays. Exposed nails and damaged corners contribute to customer cuts. Use pallet guards for displays with exposed corners (occurs when there is an octagon jitney on a square pallet)

Pallets are used on a daily basis; therefore, it requires awareness by all employees of these safety tips. Pallet safety will then become a part of your operation’s routine risk management practices.