Tips to Ensure Safe Indoor & Outdoor Cantilever Racking | Apex Safety Spotlight
See Specific Risk, Design & Inspection Areas for Safe Cantilever Racking Use –Indoor or Outdoors
Cantilever rack is your go-to for efficient vertical storage of large, awkward, and bulky inventor in both indoor and outside environments. Everything from lumber, building materials, and furniture to wiring and pipes find an orderly spot within cantilever racking.
The simple design includes vertical columns mounted in support bases. Horizontal arms attach easily and are adjustable up and down and often front and back of the column –Talk about versatility! Braces connect the columns to create the row and provide support. Because cantilever seems simple to configure and holds just about anything, it can be tempting to take it for granted, risking the integrity and safety of the system. But, with just a little attention and a few Apex PROs tips, your cantilever rack system will safely carry on for many years.
Cantilever Safety Tips
Column and Arm Placement
Unlike a pallet rack system designed for standard-sized loads, cantilever must allow for a range of sizes. Your safety consideration is to ensure that the inventory is supported without sagging, which can damage items or cause a falling risk. So before setting the column positions, it is a good idea to set up a few sawhorses or blocks and have a trial run. This is the easiest way to ensure your column spacing provides adequate support before finalizing your design.
Your first step is to take your load length and divide it by 2. Next, place the columns that distance apart (no more than ½ the length of your load). For example, a 100” long item sets your two columns 50” apart. Overhang on the ends is ok, but an excessive amount can damage inventory, so it is best to minimize it. Do you see sagging? Add columns as needed to secure the load without observable sagging.
Cantilever Rack Arms
There are several styles of cantilever arms available, and most standard sizes range from 12” – 72” long, with custom lengths available. Safety considerations include confirming the load capacity of the arms, choosing the best design for the type of inventory, and whether a stop is needed at the end of the arm.
To determine the load capacity requirement, divide the load weight by the number of arms that will support it –ensure your arms are manufactured to hold that weight.
Arm design options include:
Straight arms come in various load-bearing capacities, ranging from light-duty to extra-heavy duty. Designed with a two to four-degree incline, they are ideally suited for storing flat products such as wood, sheet metal, skids, and construction materials. Depending on the specific design and weight capacity, these straight cantilever arms can support weight loads ranging from 250 to 2000 pounds per arm.
Inclined arms have an upward slope that provides a secure resting point for products loaded onto the rack at the column connection. This incline prevents inventory from rolling off the end of the cantilever arms, making them perfect for storing rounder items such as tubing, PVC pipe, and other cylindrical products.
Axel arms come in straight and inclined variants, designed to accommodate rolled materials like carpeting, various fabrics, and wrapping. These arms feature curved ends that allow rollers to connect and rest seamlessly, enabling smooth and effortless movement. Available in multiple sizes, Axel cantilever arms can accommodate different roller dimensions for optimal storage and handling of rolled products.
Cantilever Rack Accessories
While some arms come with a small lip, pipe stops are another option for preventing items from falling from the rack. Pipe stops are steel rods, 12” or 16” tall, that attach to the end of the arms to prevent the load from falling. They are easy to install and reposition as needed.
Decking options, such as wire decking, b-decking, and solid composite or wood, are all suitable choices for cantilever racks. Opting for a flat decking surface allows for easy adaptation to SKU changes without the need to relocate the arms. Additionally, a shelf surface provides added safety by preventing inventory from falling due to loose or shifting items. Moreover, it ensures the even distribution of the load across the surface for enhanced stability.
 Wire Decking on Cantilever |
 Cantilever Furniture Storage Rack |
Aisle Width
The safety consideration with cantilever rack aisles is the forklift turn radius. Ensure your aisles are spread widely enough to allow your operators to safely clear the extended arms while turning the forklift when entering and leaving the aisle.
Forklift Operator Training
As with all storage rack systems, the safety conscience move is to ensure forklift operators receive system-specific training regarding the potential hazards associated with loading or unloading. For cantilever systems, damaging or dislodging the arms is the most significant concern. Emphasize gently placing the load on the arms in a controlled manner to avoid striking the arms. Also, ensure the load is evenly distributed and centered across the arms to prevent uneven stress on individual arms.
When removing loads, drivers must avoid knocking against the bottom of arms in the level above. Prioritizing careful and considerate handling of the cantilever racking system will help maintain its integrity and longevity.
Outdoor Cantilever Rack Considerations
Safety considerations for outdoor cantilever systems are unique vs. indoor equipment due to the effects of exposure to intense heat, sun, rain, wind, hail, snow, and freezing temps. Your choice of roll-formed or structural steel and the strength and thickness of the steel components will vary depending on the risk factors expected in the installation area. Additionally, the style of columns, i.e., closed tube, c-channel, or open back, help minimize the potential for water to build up.
Additional concerns include:
Anchoring it is essential to bolt outdoor cantilever onto concrete pads to achieve rated load capacity and stability. Avoid anchoring racks into asphalt as it is not a stable surface. For heavy-duty applications, the quality of the underlying soil should also be taken into consideration to ensure adequate support and load-bearing capacity.
Applying a durable finish is the best way to protect your rack from damaging moisture and eventual rusting. A hot-dipped galvanized finish is the most protective; however, powder coating is also effective though may be more costly.
Barriers can take the form of a shelter or windbreak.
An overhead shelter or a T-shed are types of covers for outdoor racking. The sloped roof design helps prevent snow or water build-up on the inventory eliminating an overload risk and protecting inventory from damage.
A windbreak is another option for your outdoor cantilever rack. These protective barriers reduce the force of the wind against the rack protecting the system’s stability. They also mitigate the risk of items blowing away from the rack. Windbreaks also prevent debris, rain, or snow from blowing onto the rack again, causing a load concern and damaging inventory. Windbreaks can be solid walls, fencing, or mesh screens, depending on the specific needs of the outdoor storage area and the prevailing wind conditions.
Rack Inspection Areas Specific to Cantilever Systems
Periodic rack inspections are necessary for all your storage systems, including your cantilever rack. MHI recommends at least one rack inspection annually and, of course, immediately following a forklift strike. Things to look for specific to cantilever racking include:
✔ – Check that the vertical columns are secure within the bases
✔ – Verify the loads are uniformly distributed and stable –overhang is common, just confirm the load is centered across the arms and supported by the proper number of arms
✔ – Ensure the cantilever rack vertical tolerance is within 0.25 inches of the column face when the arm is under load
✔ – Confirm the rack is anchored securely to the floor or outdoor slab
Free Rack Inspection Tools from Apex
Apex provides free resources to help you inspect and maintain all your storage racking systems. The Apex Rack Repair App is a free tool that guides you through a thorough rack inspection AND prompts you to collect all the necessary specs to quickly order a replacement kit if needed. You can also download our Apex Rack Inspection Checklist to help ensure that every detail has been inspected, from upright frame and beam damage to missing or broken struts, footplates, shims, and anchors. We also instruct you on how to identify severe damage that poses an imminent safety risk –and what to do about it.
If that all sounds too much for your busy team, no problem! Call the Apex PROs and schedule a comprehensive warehouse racking and safety inspection today.
The Apex team has you covered from design and engineering to rack inspection and safety. Contact our team for prompt, expert support. We Got This!
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