When planning a warehouse racking system or looking for an effective storage solution for the limited space, businesses often ignore the most critical factor of storage area, and that’s the right spacing between the pallet racks. Although this seems to be tempting to squeeze in as many racks as possible to maximize storage, overlooking the improper spacing can lead to safety hazards, difficulty in accessing products, and inefficient workflows. Thus, to help you come out of these problems, Simco Steel, a leading pallet rack manufacturer and supplier in India, is here with this article. This will help you explore every aspect of the right spacing between pallet racks to boost productivity and safety in your storage environment.
What Are Pallet Racking Systems?
Pallet racking systems are one of the most widely used storage solutions. These racking systems are designed in several ways to accommodate diverse products on pallets in horizontal rows with multiple levels. These racks, due to their sturdy design and durable structure, are used across multiple industries, like in manufacturing facilities, warehouses, logistics areas, and distribution centres. They find their wide application due to the ability of maximizing vertical space use and providing easy accessibility to each of the pallets and inventories stored on it, either manually or through forklifts and reach trucks.
To meet the different storage needs of diverse businesses, Simco Steel offers its customers a wide range of pallet racks, including:
- Selective Pallet Racks: The most common racking systems that offer easy access to all the pallets and can maximize the storage space by using vertical space of an area.
- Cantilever Pallet Racks: Used in industries which deal with lengthy and uneven shaped items, like pipes, lumbers and others as these racks have horizontal rows and no vertical upright columns as an hindrance for long items.
- High-rise Pallet Racks: These are variations of selective racks, which occupy the ceiling height of warehouses, and require forklifts or reach trucks for accessing each of the pallets and stored inventories easily and without any risk. They are generally the best and preferably storage solution for high-density storage areas.
- Double Deep Pallet racks: These racking systems allow storing inventories back-to-back in one pallet only. They require special equipment like forklifts for the accessibility to deep pallets and inventories in it, while are widely used in areas where small items are focused on for storing.
- Movable Pallet Racks: The best and ideal choice for areas with limited ground space. These racks are mounted on slides to be easily contracted and expanded as per the requirements. They save a lot of ground space when the racks are not in use, unlike any floor-anchored or wall-mounted pallet racks.
Although there are so many varieties of racking systems available in the market, it is still important to look for the right spacing to complement your storage needs and boost productivity. So let’s delve in understanding the right spacing technique between pallet racks.
Why Is Proper Spacing Between Pallet Racks Important?
Proper spacing between the pallet racks is not just about the store’s layout, but it’s also about safety, efficiency, and compliance. Here’s why right spacing matters:
1. Safety
Having an insufficient space between the pallet racks can risk the safety of not just the employees working around but even the inventories in the area. The emergency exits or fire hazards may be blocked due to increased rack quantity, and adequate fire suppression operations during any fire breakout requires enough gaps between the pallets and racks to comply with safety of the area.
2. Forklift Maneuvering
Forklifts or other equipment for safe accessibility of the racks require enough space to navigate the area, turn, and lift products while loading or unloading. In such cases, having less or no space between the pallet racks might lead to the risk of big accidents, thus damaging the racks, goods, or even injuring the employees around.
3. Inventory Accessibility
No or less space between the pallet racks, will lead to difficulties in accessing the items stored in it. As tight spaces make it harder for the workers to reach or restock the items, which can ultimately slow down the workflow of the area and increase overall labour costs.
4. Damage Prevention
Having no or insufficient space is the zone of increased damages to not just the inventories stored in pallet racks but also to the racks itself. Whether it’s about handling inventory manually will risk labours life or using forklifts to reach the higher items will risk both employees and inventories life.
What Factors Should You Consider When Determining Rack Spacing?
Determining rack spacing between your pallet racks isn’t the one-size-fits-all solution, rather, it’s about understanding the unique needs of each area. Thus, here are several factors to be considered for the right evaluation:
1. Forklift Type & Turning Radius
Always know what type of forklifts is to be used in the area whether, counterbalance, reach truck or others, as their size and design differs so will their aisle width will. For instance, a standard forklift will need wider aisle space to navigate, access or turn through the way, and on the other hand a narrower reach truck can function in less space as well.
2. Load Dimensions
The size of the inventories to be stored in racks and how much aisle space will they need to load or retrieve and how much they will overhang will influence the spacing between racks.
3. Warehouse Layout
Consider the layout of the warehouse to know the racking space required. From its traffic flow to turning radius area, cross aisles and pathways for employees, and access equipment, you can evaluate the need of aisle space which should not block the fire safety or emergency exits.
4.Fire Code Requirements
National and local fire codes require a specific area or gap between pallet racks for flue gases, to ensure easy suppression operation during a fire breakout in the area. It generally ranges from a minimum of 6 inches between the racks and 18 inches of clearance from the fire sprinklers.
5. Storage Density Needs
High-density storage systems with high-rise or double-deep pallet racks might require minimized aisle space and give less accessibility to the items, while selective pallet racks require wider aisle space for direct access.
How Much Space Should Be Between the Backs of Pallet Racks?
As per the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) guidelines, an area installing pallet racks should have a minimum of 6 inches of free space between the pallet racks. This spacing is critical to maintain the transverse flue space of the racks, as it allows:
- Easy fire suppression operation and the fire suppression system to work effectively during a fire breakout
- Promotes better air circulation in the area through racks, and inventories stored in it
- Provides safer working conditions for the employees to reach items through forklifts or reach trucks without any risk of accidents
Well, if this fire code regulation is violated or pallets are placed directly against each other or if the flue space is blocked, this would not just result in high penalties to the business but will also pose a major hazard in case of any fire breakout. Thus, to maintain the flue space or gaps between pallet racks, you can add flue space dividers or backstop beams in your pallet racks and add physical limitations of how far the pallets can go from each other and the walls.
How Much Clearance Is Required on the Sides of the Racks?
Side clearance or longitudinal flue space refers to the gaps between the edges of the pallet and rack on the same level. This spacing ensures smooth movement and operation of the forklifts to load and unload inventories and prevent contact with upright frames and the pallet. This spacing should be a minimum of 3 inches on each of the pallets. If the business fails to maintain this clearance, the result would be harsh and increase the risk of rack damage, product falls, and pallet overhanging.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes in Pallet Racks Spacing?
Even when you have the right and best intentions, there can be some mistakes while planning the pallet racks. These common mistakes include:
- Ignoring the requirements of equipment: Not taking into account the maneuvering of forklifts and other reach equipment can often result in aisle hindrance problems in the operation.
- Blocking Flue Space: If pallets are pushed too far back can block the required 6-inch flue space, leading to fire code violations and risk in fire safety.
- Overloading the space: Trying to maximize the space by occupying every inch of it can compromise the safety of the inventories and employees working, thus leading to operational delays.
- Inflexible Layout: When racks are placed without any aisle space or future expansion consideration can limit the scalability of the storage area of the business, leading to an inflexible storage layout.
- No rack stops or guides: Without integrating the racks with backstops or spacers it will be difficult for the workers to maintain the consistent side clearance and flue space between the pallet racks and other obstructions.
What’s the Best Way to Ensure Your Rack Spacing Is Safe and Efficient?
To ensure your rack spacing meets all the safety standards of national and local codes, is efficient, and will perform well in the long run, you can do the following things:
1. Work with professional and experienced racking system designers
Having the guidance of experts and supervision of professional pallet rack manufacturers and installers like Simco Steel will help you evaluate your warehouse layout, understand your storage needs and provide a tailored solution for right racking space in a much better and effective way.
2. Measuring & Marking Aisle Space Clearly
To not make any mistake while planning or installing the racks, it is advised to mark up the aisle space through marking tapes and use singgae to indicate the flue space boundaries, aisle path and equipment clearance zones in the storage space.
3.Conduct Regular Audits
Perform safety inspection almost regularly or at least once a week to know the clearance and flue space is being maintained consistently as the pallets may shift over time.
4. Install Rack Accessories
Do not forget to install rack accessories like backstop beams, flue space maintainers, and spacers to keep the clearance space consistent among pallet racks.
5. Comply with Building & Fire Codes
While planning and even after the pallet rack installation, make sure to stay updated and comply with each of the fire and building safety codes to avoid any rule violation leading to fines and penalties.
FAQs on How Much Space Do You Need Between Pallet Racks?
What is the standard aisle width between pallet racks?
Ans: The standard aisle width space between the pallet racks depends on the type of forklifts used. Like, standard forklifts need 12-13 feet, narrow aisle forklifts need 8-10 feet, and very narrow aisle forklifts need 5-6 feet of aisle width space.
What is flue space, and why is it important?
Ans: Flue space is the vertical gap minimum of 6 inches between the pallet racks placed back-to-back each other. It is important for fire suppression systems like fire sprinklers to work effectively, improving air flow and heat dissipation and enhancing the fire safety compliance of an area.
Can I reduce aisle width to fit more racks?
Ans: While it seems efficient to reduce aisle width space, it can be good and safe only if you choose to use narrow or very narrow aisle forklifts, because standard forklifts can hinder operation, causing product and rack damage or even injuries to the employees working around.
How do I measure aisle spacing for my forklift?
Ans: Follow these steps to measure the aisle space for your forklift:
- First, measure the turning radius of your forklift.
- Then add some extra space for load overhanging and safety maneuvering.
- Then test the aisle width space with a trial run before finalizing it.