3 Steps to Address Pallet Rack Rust | Apex Safety Spotlight
Preventing & Mitigating Pallet Rack Rust
As Kryptonite is to the Man of Steel, so is rust to your steel pallet racking system. While seemingly strong and nearly impervious… even able to withstand an occasional altercation with a forklift, your pallet racking has inherent vulnerabilities. Rust is the enemy that must be stopped in its tracks, or better yet, prevented altogether to protect the integrity of your system.
Rust results from moisture forming on and ultimately penetrating steel rack components. It’s hard, if not impossible in certain warehouse climates to prevent all moisture from coming into contact with the steel. Therefore, the first step is to protect the steel components with a water-resistant coat.
Step 1 — Put on a Coat
Paint is the most common coverage for pallet racking. It can be spray-applied, dipped, or powder-coated, and many manufacturers offer a variety of colors for customers to personalize their systems or to coordinate with corporate branding.
Apex also provides in-house paint and refurbishing services for new or used racking components. Our custom paint mixture is carefully applied to ensure complete coverage and a durable finish.
Galvanization is more understated looking but may hold up better for racking exposed to chemicals, freezers, cold storage environments, or outdoor use. If exposed to corrosive material, Galvanized steel will break down at 1/30th the rate of regular steel.
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Real-Life Application – Paint vs. Galvanization A recent rack inspection revealed several rows of painted pallet racking with severe rust due to contamination from bagged fertilizer. The customer used galvanized racking in several other facilities, which prevented the corrosion damage, revealing that a galvanized solution would reliably get this racking safely back into use. Luckily, the damage only affected the floor-level storage opening the door for replacing the lower uprights with custom-fit galvanized repair kits –keeping facility disruption and system downtime to a minimum. The entire process, from inspection, assessment, and repairs, can be completed with one call to the Apex PROs. |
What About Stainless Steel?
Specialty applications like cleanrooms and various manufacturing activities may require stainless steel racking. The rack components hold up against wash-down, high temperatures, and high humidity, but it is very costly and typically only used where necessary.
While a protective coating is the first step in protecting your rack from moisture damage, it is essential to regularly inspect racking for areas where the finish has been worn, rubbed, or scraped off. These areas are most vulnerable to rusting and should be addressed.
Step 2 – Rust Evaluation & Mitigation
When it comes to managing pallet rack rust, timing is critical. You must catch the rust before it begins to break down the steel. One good way to do that is to conduct regular pallet rack inspections. The Apex Rack Repair App is a free tool that your team can use to quickly and thoroughly document rust and any other damage or compromised risk found during the inspection. The App prompts you to gather pictures and all necessary specs to allow our rack experts to evaluate the severity and provide a cost-effective solution to address the concern. See below for more on the Apex Rack Repair Program.
Essentially, you want to determine if the rust is surface-level or permeated the steel. Surface-level rust is treatable with one of the options below. But if you find dark discoloration and etching into the steel, it has been compromised and may be too far gone. Look for 10% or greater thickness loss as a repair cut-off.
Pallet Rack Rust Removal
So, you’ve caught some rust at the early surface-level stage; now, what do you do?
- Apply a strong acid to the damaged area to remove the rust –the acid will not affect the steel underneath. Hydrochloric acid is a good option. Follow up with a coating of paint to protect the steel.
- High-pressure water can also remove surface-level rust when combined with some elbow grease and sand or diamond paper scrubbing. The challenge is to get all the rust. Any left behind can restart the process more quickly. As always, apply a new coat of paint to the unprotected surface.
Step 3 – Know When to Call in the PROs
The Apex PROs are the team behind the Apex Rack Repair App and your first line of defense against rack damage and warehouse danger. The Apex PROs conduct comprehensive on-site pallet rack inspections and maintain your “areas to watch” and repair lists to look for habits or design flaws that can put your team at risk. They also review Apex Rack Repair App inspections conducted by your team.
Once your team concludes the inspection, they upload the results to the Apex PROs. The report is evaluated, and you receive a prompt reply with any measures to address, fix, or replace the damage. All our repair kit solutions are independent and based on the most cost-effective, durable solution.
Download the Apex Rack Repair App today and give it a try. It’s free to download and available on and the App Store.
