Stacking empty pallets: straight, stable and safe

This article is about stacking empty pallets themselves, not about stacking goods on a pallet. It explains why stacks of empty pallets lean, how to prevent that step by step, what the rules and guidance say and which aids help.

Why stacks of empty pallets lean

A stack of empty pallets looks solid, but small deviations add up. If every pallet sits slightly off the one below, the stack is already well out of line at the top. The higher the stack, the more that matters.

The most common causes:

• Stacking in a hurry: the pallet is dropped on top quickly, without lining it up properly.
• Different pallets mixed together: a pallet of another size or design never sits properly on the rest of the stack.
• Damaged pallets: a broken board or a loose block makes the stack uneven.
• An uneven floor: a slope, a threshold or a dip tilts the whole stack.
• Cramped storage: with little space around the stack, it is hard to drive up to it straight.
• Knocks during work: a forklift or pallet truck that touches the stack pushes it out of line.

A leaning stack is more than an untidy sight. Pallets can slide or fall off the stack, and a whole stack can topple over. That means damage to pallets and equipment, and danger for anyone working nearby.

A leaning stack also costs time. Someone has to straighten it or rebuild it before more pallets can be added. A forklift driver who needs to pick up a leaning stack has to manoeuvre more carefully. And pallets that fall off a stack are more likely to be damaged, and sometimes cannot be used again.

How to stack empty pallets straight

These six steps help you build a straight, stable stack of empty pallets. They apply whether you stack with a forklift or by hand.

Step 1: choose a fixed, level place

Stack on a level, firm floor, away from walkways, traffic routes and emergency exits. Give empty pallets a fixed place, so everyone knows where they belong and no loose stacks appear around the building. Marking the place on the floor makes it easy to recognise. Choose the place so that the forklift can drive straight up to it, without having to turn or reverse just in front of the stack.

Step 2: sort by size and type

Only stack pallets of the same size and the same type on top of each other. If you use several pallet sizes, give each size its own stack and its own place. Even pallets of the same size can differ in design and height. If they are mixed, they do not sit properly on each other and the stack starts to slide sooner.

Step 3: check every pallet

Look at every pallet before it goes on the stack. A pallet with a broken board, a loose block or protruding nails does not belong on the stack; set it aside for repair or disposal.

Step 4: set each pallet squarely on the one below

Line up each pallet with the pallet below, at the front and at the side. If you use a forklift, drive up straight, keep the forks level and set the pallets down gently. After setting a pallet down, take a quick look along the side of the stack. You will see any deviation straight away and can correct it before the next pallet goes on.

Step 5: stay within the agreed height

Do not build the stack higher than the height agreed in your company. How that height is set is explained in How high can you stack empty pallets?.

Step 6: check the stacks regularly

Walk past the stacks, for example at the end of each shift. If a stack is leaning, straighten it before any more pallets are added. Agree who does this. If everyone assumes someone else will deal with it, a leaning stack often stays put for too long.

Safe stacking: the rules

Safe stacking falls under the general rules for health and safety at work. They put the responsibility on the employer, who assesses the risks and makes sure there are measures and instructions.

What the law asks

In the UK, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) explains that under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 the minimum you must do is identify what could cause injury or illness in your business, decide how likely it is that someone could be harmed and how seriously, and take action to eliminate the hazard or control the risk (Managing risks and risk assessment at work, HSE). Stacks of pallets that could fall over are one of those hazards.

In Ireland, section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires every employer to identify the hazards in the place of work, assess the risks and have a written risk assessment. Section 20 adds a written safety statement based on that assessment. Where to find the official sources is explained in How high can you stack empty pallets?.

What HSE guidance says about pallets

The HSE guide Warehousing and storage: A guide to health and safety (HSG76) has a section on the safe use of pallets. Among other things, it says:

• you should have an effective system for pallet inspection, and damaged pallets should be removed from use;
• all pallets should be inspected each time before use, and damaged pallets withdrawn for repair or destruction;
• empty pallets should be handled carefully and not dragged or thrown about;
• only authorised, trained and competent people should operate lift trucks;
• operators should be instructed to keep the forks level, enter the pallet squarely and place loads carefully and gently on the stack below.

What this means in practice

What this means for your stacks is set out in your own company’s instructions. In practice, they usually come down to rules like these:

• only stack whole, undamaged pallets of the same size;
• stack on a level, firm surface and in a fixed place;
• keep walkways, emergency exits and fire-fighting equipment clear;
• do not build stacks higher than the company instruction allows;
• never climb onto a stack of pallets;
• leave stacking with a forklift to staff who are trained for it.

Stacking by hand

Not every stack is built with a forklift. If you put empty pallets on a stack by hand, take extra care. Avoid lifting above shoulder height, do not climb onto the stack to add one more pallet, and ask for help or use a lifting aid if the pallet is heavy to lift. A stack that is built by hand will naturally stay lower as a result.

Not sure whether your way of stacking is right? Check with your supervisor or the person responsible for health and safety in your company.

Aids: loose stacks or a pallet straightener

Careful stacking helps, but stacks still end up crooked. For empty pallets, there are roughly three options.

A loose stack

A loose stack on the floor costs nothing. Whether it ends up straight depends entirely on the care taken when stacking. It is precisely at busy times, when pallets have to be added quickly, that this often goes wrong.

Add-ons for a single pallet: a different product

Rims and corner boards that sit on top of a pallet are used with pallets that carry goods. They turn the pallet into a kind of box. For a stack of empty pallets, they do not solve the problem of leaning stacks. The difference is explained in What is a pallet straightener?.

A pallet straightener

A pallet straightener is a free-standing steel frame that you place the stack of empty pallets into with a forklift. You then push the stack in with the forklift, which presses it straight. Palletframe Basic is the standard version. Palletframe Auto has a deeper lead-in funnel, which makes the stack straighter.

The difference from a loose stack shows most when things get busy. With a loose stack, every driver has to make sure on every trip that the pallets land exactly right. In a frame, one push with the forklift presses a crooked stack straight. That makes a straight stack less dependent on who is driving and how busy it is.

For more benefits, see the benefits of a pallet straightener. Want to know which frame fits your pallets? Request a no-obligation quote.