When should you be replacing your stainless steel racks?

Stainless steel shelves are essential components of any commercial space, they allow businesses to effectively organise their inventory, keep things visible and within reach.

While stainless steel shelves are durable and can stand the test of time to serve your business for many years, they are still storage units that will suffer from damages. Especially in commercial spaces, it is important to only use well-functioning stainless steel shelf racks that you can trust. Not sure when is a good time to replace your stainless steel shelves? Here are some warning signs to keep an eye out for.

1. When rust cannot be cleaned off

Although stainless steel shelves are less prone to rust due to their alloying elements, they can still rust when exposed to certain external factors. When exposed to oxygen, the chromium in stainless steel forms a thin invisible layer called chromium oxide, and rust can form when this layer is damaged by cleaners, chloride, scratches, and/or abrasions.

As high humidity is also a contributing factor to rust, stainless steel racks are also harder to maintain in Singapore.

Proper maintenance procedures should be put in place to care for your stainless steel shelf racks to prevent rust. However, when rusting becomes so severe that cleaning is almost impossible, it is time to replace your shelves.

Although rust does not pose a threat to human health, the corrosion can severely weaken your steel racks and can cause workplace accidents. Instead of using the same stainless steel rack till it fails you, keep your space safe by replacing it.

2. When items cannot be stored upright

The horizontal beams of your stainless steel shelf rack can dent over time, especially if it has to constantly carry heavy loads, or when the items arranged on each level of the rack are of different weights.

If you catch yourself frequently having to rearrange items to ensure that they’re upright and neat on the shelves, then it’s a sign that your shelving unit is damaged.

Items falling off the shelf due to damaged horizontal beams can injure you and your staff. Ensure that it is safe by always organising your inventory properly, and replacing damaged stainless steel shelves with new ones.

3. When the stainless steel rack is unstable

Apart from horizontal beams, the vertical beams of your shelf can also suffer from damages. It is common to find that shelves eventually lose their stability over time, often due to frequent movement, heavyweight, or improper maintenance.

When this happens, many of us resort to stuffing pieces of paper under the shelf legs to keep it balanced. However, this method is not sustainable. The pieces of paper can slip out, potentially causing a sudden jerk to your stainless steel shelf rack. Items could even fall out, injuring you and your staff.

All damages aside, the stability of your stainless steel racks is the most important. A stable shelf not only supports all of your items and helps to keep your storage space organised, but it also keeps your workspace safe. Stop stuffing those pieces of paper, and go searching for new stainless steel racks in Singapore.

4. When it’s taking up space but you’re not utilising it

Maybe you’ve overestimated the amount of storage space you need and ended up with a large stainless steel shelf you actually don’t need. It’s sitting in your space, but half the shelves aren’t even efficiently utilised.

If it’s a brand new stainless steel rack, perhaps you could keep it and see how it serves your business as you go. However, if it is relatively old and you haven’t been using it for ages, then it’s time to free up more space by replacing it with a smaller stainless steel rack.

If you don’t have a strong and functional stainless steel shelf in your space, or a well-functioning one to service your business, then contact us today. At Shelvings, we assist you with the layout and design of proper industrial shelving systems to provide you with the most efficient storage solution within your facility.