Damaged rack: what to do today, and what to install so it stops happening

Repair or replace: the RMI guidance

ANSI MH16.1 puts the inspection duty on the rack owner. When damage is found, the affected area is isolated and the decision goes to a rack design professional, because a bent upright carries less load than its rating and the reduction is not obvious by eye. The four remediation paths RMI describes are replacement with the original manufacturer's component, an engineered repair kit, straightening where the steel retains its properties, and field welding under an engineer's supervision. Straightening and welding are the exceptions, not the default.

Protection that prevents the next hit

Most impacts land at the bottom of the upright and at the aisle ends where a truck turns in. RMI describes column protectors that wrap around the face and sides of the rack column, end-of-row angles and polymer guards, and guardrail at aisle ends, while noting that guarding is no substitute for trained operators. Netting on the back of racks facing walkways, and overhead where product moves above people, addresses the other rack problem: falling inventory.

• Column protectors on the bottom of every upright in a forklift aisle
• End-of-aisle guards or rated guardrail where trucks turn
• Rack-back netting facing walkways and work areas; overhead netting where product travels above people
• A written inspection routine and a damage tag procedure

How we quote it

Send the rack layout with aisle widths and the upright size. We quote column protectors per upright, end guards per aisle end, and netting per bay, as line items you can phase by aisle. For the damaged bay itself, we can connect you with an engineered repair provider or quote replacement components from the rack manufacturer.