BACKGROUND FACTS

Laundry detergent was being stored in a warehouse in stacks three pallets high and ten rows across. One day, liquid was observed issuing from under the stack of pallets. Workers began removing the front columns, attempting to find the problem location and contain the leak. Even as this was being carried out, crushing was seen to be spreading outward, with pallets falling inward toward the initial failure location. By the next day, surrounding pallets had completely crumbled and the warehouse floor was covered with a pool of detergent product.

FINDINGS

CTL's investigatin of the consignment revealed that each palletized unit was composed of a fiberboard tray with a fiberboard "T" partition, filled with 2 product bottles, arranged in tiers two abreast and five deep. These tiers were column stacked with the occasional use of inter-tier slip-sheets. Corner posts were placed at the four corners, a top cap added and the entire load was stretch wrapped. An analysis of the strenght of this system, as compared to the product weight, yielded a theoretical safety factor of 3.2, which would have been acceptable. Observation of the actual units, pallet, revealed their funciton was completely compromised. Also, slip-sheets were not consistently used, and never under the bottom tier. This allowed for bottom tier crush and nesting of the tray corners.

CONCLUSIONS

CTL determined that failure in this instance occurred as a result of a defective packing system, allowing tray crush and ultimately bottle compression. In addition, labeling on the pallet contained no warning that stacking should be restricted in any manner whatsoever.

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- Daniel Feldman, President CPD Bottle & Closure

Vertical package vibration tested to simulate cross-country truck conditions.