Pallet Rack Protection for Warehouses

Column guards, also known as upright protectors, are attached to the column of the upright at the floor level. Column guards provide a buffer between the forklift and the rack, making the impact less severe and often preventing immediate rack failure. Column guards are recommended to be installed on columns located in areas that forklifts must maneuver in, such as the entrance to aisles and staging areas.

There are several types of column guards, including steel and high-grade polymer. Options can also include those that are bolted to the floor and those that snap onto the upright.

End of row protection is bolted to the floor in front of each upright that is located along a main aisle. It is a long, typically steel, item that runs the length of the upright. These help avoid or lessen damage caused by forklifts driving into the front of the upright. 

Down aisle protection helps guide forklifts down aisles of a rack system. This helps prevent them from driving off course into the rack.

Down aisle protection is especially important if you have very narrow aisles (aisles 6-8 ft. wide). It’s also useful to protect against rack damage when lifting pallets into bays located high up in a system.

Frame extensions are installed at the top of each frame. Although they don’t directly protect the rack, frame extensions prevent materials stored on the top beam levels from falling if a forklift bumps the rack and causes it to sway.