
The safe working load racking regulations is contained in the OSHA’s Safety and Health Regulations for Construction regulations.
However before I lost the OSHA’s racking regulation, lets recap on what Safe Working Load.
Safe Working Load
It is sometimes stated as the Normal Working Load (NWL) is the maximum safe force that a piece of lifting equipment, lifting device or accessory can exert to lift, suspend, or lower a given mass without fear of breaking.
In simple terms, safe working load of any lifting equipment or lifting accessories is the maximum weight of a load it can carry at any given time safely.
In Health and Safety, it is expected that all manufacturers of a lifting equipment and lifting accessories should specify the safe working load of that equipment/accessory to prevent overload. Overload of an equipment can result to accidental release of the load or toppling of the lifting equipment which could cause serious injury or death.
To ensure safe lifting, risk assessment must be carried out for all lifting exercises. One of the things to consider during the risk assessment is the lifting machinery, lifting accessories and the load.
This consideration will guide on the choice of the best lifting machinery and accessories for a successful completion of the task.
You can read full article on safe working load to learn how to calculate Safe Working Load.
Safe Working Load Racking Regulations
General.
The weight of stored materials on floors within buildings and structures shall not exceed maximum safe load limits.
Employers shall conspicuously post maximum safe load limits of floors within buildings and structures, in pounds per square foot, in all storage areas, except when the storage area is on a floor or slab on grade. Posting is not required for storage areas in all single-family residential structures and wood-framed multi-family residential structures.
Material storage.
Housekeeping. Storage areas shall be kept free from accumulation of materials that constitute hazards from tripping, fire, explosion, or pest harborage. Vegetation control will be exercised when necessary.
Dockboards (bridge plates).
[44 FR 8577, Feb. 9, 1979; 44 FR 20940, Apr. 6, 1979, as amended at 49 FR 18295, Apr. 30, 1984; 54 FR 24334, June 7, 1989; 58 FR 35173, June 30, 1993; 59 FR 40729, Aug. 9, 1994; 61 FR 5510, Feb. 13, 1996; 84 FR 21577, May 14, 2019]