Create a warehouse traffic management plan

Pallet collapses can occur for various reasons, and it's not fair to solely blame the material handler. To determine the root cause, you must consider other factors that come into play.

Warehouse climate can significantly affect the contents inside it, especially in humid regions. Cardboard containers can absorb moisture, weakening the walls and causing them to cave in. Even containers with liquid contents can react to the humidity and temperature, sweating and causing trouble if the airborne humidity levels in the warehouse are still high.

Container quality is another crucial aspect to consider, particularly when not using cardboard boxes. The strength of the containers must be adequate, and plastic bottles, for instance, may not be distributed correctly throughout the bottle when blown from the preform.

During transit, the products are susceptible to the same issues of climate and container quality. Improper stacking due to poorly-trained forklift operators can also result in pallet collapses. Factors to consider in material handling include how tight rows are when multi-stacking without using racks, how fast operators are allowed to move and stack pallets, and how different pallets of products need to be handled.

To address these standards in material handling, you must test new operators yourself and set clear standards for speed and accuracy. It's vital to have realistic standards for time completion and not let quantity compromise quality as unnecessary errors can increase costs.