4 Critical Guidelines When Storing Wooden Crates
Crates are an important component if you want to store or transport goods. They are mainly used in the shipping industry to secure goods until they are delivered to clients. The most common materials used to manufacture crates are plastic and wood. Some of the advantages of crates are that they are cheap and light-weight. Below are essential guidelines that you should consider when storing wooden crates within your business premises:
Take note of the recommended stacking height
You can easily stack several crates on top of each other. This helps during storage since the space required is minimal. However, for safety purposes, you should not have more than eight to ten crates stacked together. At this height, the crates become unstable, and there are high chances that they can fall over. This can then cause damage to your equipment and injure your staff while causing financial loses.
Construct warehouse shelves
Install warehouse shelving to store crates within your premises. This setup enables you to store more crates securely instead of stacking them on top of each other. Your crates will also last longer since they are not weakened by the weight of the crates above them.
Observe proper transportation and lifting techniques
Invest in proper equipment to make the lifting and transportation of weights much easier. The first option is using a forklift. This is mobile and can carry several crates at the same time to higher levels. It is also easier to operate, which makes it a convenient tool within your warehouse. The second alternative is to use mobile cranes within the storage facility. In this case, a forklift is attached to a crane on rails, which picks up crates at one point and delivers it to another location along the same line. The benefit of this approach is that the crane can carry heavier loads than the forklift. However, it is less flexible which makes it challenging to install if your warehouse is small. Never allow your staff to attempt to carry crates manually. It can cause injuries, and you can be liable for not providing the proper work tools.
Invest in modern firefighting equipment
Any fire that breaks out at your premises can cause significant damage. Invest in firefighting equipment including fire extinguishers and automatic fire sensors. This will help to detect any fire within the premises, and the proper measures can be taken to extinguish it. All employees should also be taken through basic firefighting measures to enable them to contain any fire before help arrives.
For more information, contact a crate manufacturer.