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A How To Stabilise Palletised Goods

How to stabilise palletised goods in the UK with the right packaging...

Ensuring the stability and safety of goods that are palletised during transportation and storage, is crucial to preventing damage and losses. In the UK where shipping conditions can be unpredictable, proper packaging, and proper palletising techniques are essential. Here’s a guide on how you can achieve pallet stability:

Firstly, choose the right pallet:

  • Wood: This is a common and versatile option, and works especially well with heavy loads.

  • Plastic: Plastic pallets are lightweight and extremely durable, businesses will often use them for sensitive goods.

  • Cardboard: Suitable for transporting lighter items that are travelling a shorter distance.

The material of the pallet you use will depend on the size and weight of the products(s) you are transporting.

Securing The Load...

Securing your load when you have palletised your goods is also important, there are a range of packaging materials available:

  1. Strapping: Plastic, steel, or for the eco-conscious, paper strapping provide strength, binding products together on the pallet. Make sure you are using the right equipment to ensure straps are tensioned correctly to  preventing any shifting. 

  2. Shrink Wrapping: Using a Ripack heat gun, shrink wrap the pallet, encasing the entire load within the plastic shrink, to create a protective barrier around your goods.

  3. Stretch Film: Can be applied either by hand or machine. Stretch film provides excellent stability and protects from weather and damage potentially caused in the handling/storage process as well as in distribution.

Consider Load Factors...

Pallet loads come in all shapes and sizes, as well as different weights. You will need to consider these factors when finding ways of stabilising. 

  • Weight: Its important to distribute the weight of the load evenly. This stops toppling, top-heavy and unbalanced pallets can be unsteady.
  • How High: Don’t stack pallets to high, this has the potential to cause multiple problems. The taller the pallet the more uneven the centre of balance – Putting them at a risk of instability. This causes hazards during handling, transportation, and storage.
  • Utilising Your Pallet Space: You want all of your products on the pallet using space in the best way possible. Turning a number of items into just one unit. The more gaps and spaces you have between items on a pallet, the higher the chance of the pallet being less stable.

Adhere To Shipping Regulations...

Where are you sending your goods? Are you familiar with the rules and regulations of where your pallets are going?

  • UK Regulations: Get yourself familiar with the UK packaging regulations, especially those for hazardous materials and fragile goods. 
  • Shipping Guidelines: Different carriers will have different guidelines and requirements for shipping. It’s always best to familiarise yourself with these guidelines.

Extra Information & Tips...

Here are some more tips on how you can stack and store your loaded pallets better.

  • Labelling Your Pallets: By labelling your pallets you can help safe handling, include; contents, weight, and handling instructions.
  • Inspections: Proper inspections allow businesses to check the pallet is fully prepared and properly packaged before transit or storage. 
  • Testing: There are tools available that allow you to properly test the stability and holding force of your pallet and the packaging material you have used.

To find out more about pallet stability and how to ensure safety, efficiency and loss of products, contact us today.

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