C. Stacking Food
Whenever possible, use pallets to keep food off the floor, and
keep stacks at least one meter away from the eaves of the warehouse. This allows
air to circulate and helps reduce the risk of infestations. Pallets should be
clean, level, and free of projecting nails or splinters. When pallets are not
available, such as at the beginning of an emergency operation, try to place food
on wooden planks, woven mats or plastic sheeting. Keeping food off the floor
is essential.
Guidelines for Stacking
· Be sure there is
easy access to food that has been stored the longest so that it will be
dispatched first.
· Store separate shipments of
the same food in separate stacks. If this is not possible, place food remaining
from a previous shipment on top of newly arrived food so that it can be
dispatched first.
· Set the first layer of the
stack carefully on the pallets -- this layer is fundamental for maintaining
uniform stacks. (See Figure 3 below.)
· Bond or interlace layers bags
of grain or processed food to construct the stack. (See Figure 4 below.)
· Line up bags or containers of
food with the edge of a pallet. (See Figure 5 below.)
· Place the same number of bags
or containers on each level to make counting easy.
· Leave at least one meter
between each stack, and between the stacks and walls to facilitate inspections,
inventory counts and fumigations. Leave at least one meter of circulation space
between the top of the stack and the eaves. (See Figure 6 below.)
· Stack cartons or tins of oil
in their upright position.
· Limit stack heights to avoid
crushing food on the bottom and excessive floor loading. Do not stack bags of
grain or processed food higher than 25 layers, nor containers of oil higher than
10 layers. (See Figure 7 below for an example of a well constructed stack which
also can be used like a staircase to easily put food on and take it off.)
· Lift bags and containers and
do not throw them.
· Create separate stacks for
food in original packages, damaged packages, repackaged food, food suspected
and/or declared unfit, and sweepings.
· Take physical inventories by counting from the floor.
Climb to the top to observe that the stack is whole and no food has been taken
from the center. |
Figure 3a: Correct Stacking Sequence
-- Bottom layer as seen from above
Figure 3b: Correct Stacking Sequence
-- Top layer as seen from above
Figure 4: Bonded or interlaced stack
Figure 5: Stacking on pallets
Figure 6: Stacking food to eaves
Figure 7: Staircase
Stack
