Tips for Safe and Organised Pallet Handling in Super Markets

If you own a grocery store or a small market, many of your orders probably come on pallets. To ensure that everything stays safe and organised in your facility, you need to develop a strategy to deal with your pallets. Take a look at these tips.

1. Unload Right Away

Ideally, you should unload everything that comes in on pallets as soon as possible. In most cases, it's easier to store boxes of cereal or other items than it is to store a whole pallet. If you don't have shelves for these items and you have to keep them on the pallets, make sure you have a designated area for them. If pallets are blocking walkways, they can become a tripping hazard.

2. Use a Pallet Jack

Pallets contain huge loads, and they are almost always too heavy for someone to move on their own. To ensure that your staff can move your pallets safely, invest in a pallet jack. Like a forklift, a pallet jack has two forks that slip under the pallet. Then, there is a handle and some wheels so that you can push the pallet where you need it to go. Generally, these are small enough to fit in the aisles of your grocery store.

3. Schedule Staff Strategically

To make it easier to unload your pallets in a timely fashion, schedule your staff strategically. On the days when you are getting a delivery, make sure that you have extra staff on hand. These workers can be essential for helping you to get the pallets unloaded and out of the way.

4. Consider Investing in a Pallet Racking System

Depending on the volume of orders you have throughout an average week, you may have to store a lot of pallets. A pallet racking system makes that process a lot easier, and you may want to invest in one. Basically, this is a set of shelves for empty pallets.

5. Store Carefully Outside

If you don't have enough pallets around to merit buying a pallet rack, you may opt to store the pallets outside. Make sure they aren't blocking doorways or in areas where they could become a tripping hazard. Ideally, you should stack the pallets and cover them with a tarp to protect them from the elements.

If you want extra durability, you may want to ask your delivery people to bring your items on plastic pallets. Alternatively, if you don't have enough space to store pallets at all, you may want to ask delivery people to unload the pallets and then take them away.


Share