Pallet-related injuries are a significant workplace safety concern. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, pallet handling contributes to an estimated 30,000 workplace injuries annually in the United States. These injuries range from minor cuts and splinters to serious back injuries, crushed fingers and toes, and even fatalities from pallet stack collapses. The good news is that most pallet injuries are preventable through proper training, equipment use, and adherence to established safety protocols.
Common Pallet-Related Injuries
Understanding the most common injury types helps focus prevention efforts where they matter most:
Musculoskeletal injuries (40%): Back strains, shoulder injuries, and muscle pulls from lifting, carrying, and throwing pallets manually. A standard pallet weighs 30 to 80 pounds depending on material and construction, and warehouse workers may handle dozens or hundreds of pallets per shift.
Struck-by injuries (25%): Workers hit by falling pallets from improperly secured stacks, by pallets sliding off forklift tines, or by pallets knocked from racking systems. A single pallet falling from a height of 10 feet can deliver a fatal impact.
Puncture wounds and lacerations (20%): Cuts from broken boards, protruding nails, and splintered wood. These injuries frequently become infected when not properly treated, especially when contaminated nails or wood are involved.
Foot and toe injuries (10%): Dropped pallets landing on feet, or workers stepping on pallets with protruding nails. Even with steel-toed boots, the edge of a falling pallet can cause serious injury.
Slip, trip, and fall injuries (5%): Tripping over pallets left in walkways, slipping on pallet debris, or falling from unstable pallet stacks being climbed as makeshift ladders.
Safe Manual Handling Techniques
When pallets must be handled manually, proper technique is essential:
Lifting: Always bend at the knees, keep the back straight, and grip the pallet firmly with both hands on opposite sides. Lift with the legs, not the back. Never attempt to lift a pallet alone if it weighs more than 50 pounds — get help or use mechanical assistance.
Carrying: Hold the pallet close to the body at waist height. Never carry a pallet above shoulder height or with one hand. Watch for uneven ground, obstacles, and other workers in the path of travel.
Placing: Lower pallets gradually using the legs. Never throw or drop pallets, as this can cause injury to nearby workers, damage the pallet, and damage floors. Stack pallets neatly and squarely, ensuring each pallet sits flat on the one below it.
Team Lifting: When two or more workers lift a pallet together, one person should serve as the leader and verbally coordinate the lift. Both workers should lift simultaneously and move in the same direction. Communication is critical.
Safe Stacking Practices
Improperly stacked pallets are one of the most common and dangerous hazards in warehouses and loading docks:
Maximum Stack Height: OSHA does not specify a universal maximum stack height for empty pallets, but industry best practice is to limit stacks to 15 pallets or approximately 6 feet in height on the ground without a racking system. Some facilities set lower limits based on local conditions and risk assessment.
Stack Stability: Every pallet in the stack must be flat, with no warped, broken, or uneven pallets that could cause the stack to lean or shift. All pallets in a stack should be the same size and type. Never mix different pallet sizes or types in a single stack.
Stack Placement: Stack pallets on flat, level surfaces away from traffic lanes, doorways, exits, and fire safety equipment. Leave adequate clearance around stacks for forklift access and emergency egress. Mark stacking zones with floor paint or tape.
Securing Stacks: In areas subject to vibration (near heavy machinery or vehicle traffic), seismic activity (a real concern in New Mexico), or outdoor wind exposure, consider securing tall stacks with banding, wrapping, or placing them against walls or barriers.
Forklift Safety with Pallets
Forklifts move millions of pallets every day, and the forklift-pallet interaction is a frequent source of accidents:
Inspection Before Loading: Before picking up a pallet, the forklift operator should visually inspect it for damage, uneven loading, and structural integrity. A damaged pallet can collapse on the forks, spilling its load.
Fork Positioning: Insert forks fully into the pallet openings, ensuring the load is balanced and centered on the forks. Never pick up a pallet from the side it is not designed for (do not enter a two-way pallet from the wrong side). Make sure the fork tips do not extend past the far edge of the pallet where they could strike workers, racking, or other objects.
Travel: Keep the load low (4 to 6 inches off the ground) and tilted slightly back during travel. Drive at safe speeds, especially around corners and in congested areas. Never drive with an elevated load.
Stacking: Approach the stack squarely, elevate the load to the appropriate height, drive forward slowly until the pallet is positioned, lower the pallet gently onto the stack, and back away with forks level. Never push a pallet on a stack with the forks.
Pallet Inspection and Rejection Criteria
Damaged pallets should be removed from service to prevent injuries and product damage. Train workers to identify and reject pallets with the following conditions: broken or missing deck boards (more than one board missing or any board with a crack spanning more than 50% of its width), cracked, split, or broken stringers, protruding nails or fasteners, visible mold or fungal growth, chemical stains or odors indicating contamination, and excessive warping or twist that prevents the pallet from sitting flat.
Rejected pallets should be placed in a designated repair or scrap area, not left in operational zones where they could accidentally return to service or create tripping hazards.
Creating a Pallet Safety Program
Every facility that handles pallets should have a written pallet safety program that includes initial training for all new employees, annual refresher training, documented inspection procedures, clear rejection criteria, designated stacking zones and height limits, proper PPE requirements (gloves, safety footwear, eye protection), and incident reporting and investigation procedures.
At Albuquerque Pallets, safety is central to our operations. We supply pallets that meet structural and quality standards, and we are happy to assist our customers in developing pallet safety programs tailored to their specific operations. A safe workplace is a productive workplace — and it starts with respecting the potential hazards of every tool and material in your facility, including the humble pallet.