24 Feb Metal Racking Systems – Wood Vs Metal Considerations
“If you are DIY building your racks then you probably have no idea this exists… Subsequently, if you have a problem like this then you may be told to remove all your products from the shelves and you will be forced to store and/or disassemble the unit. If you are lacking room to store your products then this is probably going to be an even bigger problem.”
A question that comes up fairly often is if wood can be used in place of metal racking systems. The answer will be disappointing for you on many levels if you are wondering. Most people who are asking this question are looking to save some money on their racks by finding them made in wood and/or making the racks by themselves. There are several problems with both of those solutions for various reasons.
An inspector is probably going to frown on seeing wood racking systems. It is because wood is much more flammable than metal most of the time. If you start factoring in paint and such then it is probably possible to make the metal more flammable. Yet, natively, wood is more flammable than metal in most cases. Therefore, an inspector may not directly fine you for having them but they certainly will mention it. It all depends on your local government. The most likely scenario will be like how they view a forklift safety cage product. They would rather see a scissor lift in use for safety reasons.
Fire Hazards:
You may be thinking that there is no fire hazard from you or your employees and you are probably correct. You know your employees and yourself better than we do as you would know your situation better than us. However, what you cannot count on is other people. Other people do strange things and that is another cause of concern. For example, a man and his wife were working for a place as a contractor when they broke into the parking garage and were squatting in it for a little over a month. They managed to set fire to the building by trying to produce hash oil illegally.1 Strange things happen to businesses that they had no part of from time to time. It makes sense to be prepared for the possibility by limiting the effect of possible fire by limiting what is easily burned. Let us not forget that your product is going to be on those shelves and a loss of product is going to affect your business immediately. Not to mention the damage to your business. Limit the effect that an incident like this can have on your profitability by preparing for the worse and the unseen.
“Other people do strange things and that is another cause of concern. For example, a man and his wife were working for a place as a contractor when they broke into the parking garage and were squatting in it for a little over a month. They managed to set fire to the building by trying to produce hash oil illegally.”
Another issue to be concerned with is seismic calculations. Many local governments have specific rules for how racks are constructed in relation to the seismic activity happening underneath a business. If you are DIY building your racks then you probably have no idea this exists. You probably would not run into the problem until you try to get your permits and/or have an inspection and are told about it. If you have a problem like this then you may be told to remove all your products from the shelves and you will be forced to store and/or disassemble the unit. If you are lacking room to store your products then this is probably going to be an even bigger problem.
The last question to consider is how mobile do you need the racking system to be. An important side question to that is if it matters if it limits how high you can store your inventory. The rules change for every local government. There is also a height where things get unstable if the unit is mobile. Our experience is that it is around 10 feet but it really depends on your product. The short answer here is if it seems unstable then you should not do it. You should only go as high as is safe. Any more than that is asking for trouble. If you feel like you can go above 10 ft then we recommend you stop at 10 ft. It is better to be safe than sorry. Do not take chances with your health or your employees’ health.
Conclusion:
Looking for well-made metal racking systems for your business? You can find them right here. Have a look at the pallet racking we have for you in that link. You can also call if you need more help figuring out what kind of racks you should have in your business. Call the number in the footer below.
Source:
https://www.registerguard.com/news/20200217/hash-oil-explosion-potential-cause-of-saturday-fire-in-downtown-eugene
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