Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1414289
PalletCentral • September-October 2021 25 a single lightning strike or small brush fire can quickly ignite a stack of pallets into flames as they provide fresh fuel. Indoor pallet storage presents its own challenges as wood dust from the production and storage of pallets can easily ignite quickly setting warehouses ablaze. Any fire mitigation should start with good housekeeping. Facility owners and managers should ensure dust collection systems are functioning properly and that pallet storage areas are inspected daily. Faulty wiring and other hazards can lead to a fire in the most unexpected places. A good insurer, specializing in the wood niche, can provide a risk assessment of your electrical wiring using a thermal imaging camera to review dangerous hots spots where faulty wiring is present. Fire mitigation goes beyond managing potential ignition sources, it also means planning for responding to an active blaze. When stacking pallets, keep them away from fire suppression systems and sprinklers to ensure they work properly when they are needed. Additionally, treat the areas between pallet stacks as fire lanes and keep them clear. Otherwise, pallets can become an obstacle to response teams in addition to fueling the fire. ese and other mitigation measures should be formalized into a plan. Facility owners and managers should familiarize themselves with the requirements of both the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) or International Code Council (ICC) and their insurance provider. Often, an insurer will have their own requirements that might be more stringent than NFPA standards. Such a plan should include details on the following: • housekeeping • a hot work program • a machine maintenance program • an electrical maintenance program including annual thermographic scan of electrical services • a fire department/pre-plan visit • a disaster recovery plan Stacking and Storage Safety As pallet manufacturers and distributors know, pallets can take up entire fields and warehouses worth of square footage. Beyond reducing usable space, stacks of pallets can present a host of challenges to any business due to the risks they impose. Surprisingly, most pallet-related incidents are not due to falling pallets or collapse, but rather the impact on sight lines. Stacks of pallets can create blind corners, resulting in more opportunities for employees and guests to bump into each other and equipment, leading to more falls and collisions. Tall stacks of pallets can also block exit signs, creating a potentially dangerous situation for anyone indoors in the event of an emergency. Outside, a similar risk can occur with a potential domino effect. If one tower of pallets falls, potentially an entire section of pallets could come down. Insurance requirements tend to differ from code requirements to further mitigate this risk. Business owners should ensure pallets stored indoors are kept at least four feet below rafters throughout a facility without exceeding 12 feet in stack height. Employee PPE Housekeeping