The Pallet That Was Heavier Than the Label
You are picking a pallet of canned goods from a rack beam at 4.5 m. The pallet label says 480 kg. Your stockpicker's load chart shows a rated capacity of 500 kg at platform height up to 3.0 m, falling to 380 kg at 4.5 m. The pallet is 1.2 m wide and sits on a standard 1.2 m pallet, but it overhangs the beam by about 150 mm on one side. The rack beam is rated at 2,000 kg per pair. You notice the pallet's shrink-wrap is torn and one carton is crushed. A colleague says the label is 'usually a bit light' and that the last pallet from that batch was 'closer to 540 kg'. The aisle is 3.0 m wide, and the machine is 1.4 m wide.
1. Assess whether the load can be lifted at 4.5 m and what the label discrepancy means for your decision.
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At 4.5 m the rated capacity is 380 kg. The labelled load is 480 kg, which already exceeds the rating by 100 kg. The colleague's report that the previous pallet was about 540 kg means the label cannot be trusted and the true weight may be higher still. The load must not be lifted at 4.5 m. Even at 3.0 m the 500 kg rating would be marginal against a possible 540 kg load. The overhang of 150 mm shifts the centre of gravity and increases the load moment on the mast, further reducing effective capacity. The correct action is to stop, verify the weight on a calibrated scale, and replan: lower the pick height, use a machine with adequate capacity, or split the pallet. The rack beam rating of 2,000 kg is not the limiting factor here; the machine's de-rated capacity is.
2. What would you do about the damaged carton, the torn wrap, and the overhang before moving the pallet?
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The crushed carton and torn wrap indicate an unstable or damaged load. Before moving, the load should be made safe: re-wrap or band the pallet, remove or repack the crushed carton, and confirm the pallet itself is sound. The 150 mm overhang means the load is not fully supported and the centre of gravity is offset; it should be re-positioned so it sits squarely on the forks and within the pallet footprint. If the load cannot be made safe, do not move it - report it and have it re-stacked. Moving a damaged, overhanging load risks collapse, load shift, and tip-over, especially at height.
3. Explain how the aisle width affects your travel and load-handling plan.
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The aisle is 3.0 m and the machine is 1.4 m wide, leaving 1.6 m total clearance, or 0.8 m each side if centred. That is tight for a machine carrying a 1.2 m pallet with overhang, and it limits room to manoeuvre or correct a load shift. Travel should be at low speed with the load lowered and the platform not elevated, and the load should be carried as close to the machine as possible to reduce the load moment. If the load cannot be carried within the machine's footprint, the aisle may be too narrow for safe travel and the route should be replanned or the load split.