Stacking and storing materials

Key points

1. 1Stack on firm, level ground or on blocking. Never stack on mud, loose fill, or a slope where the pile can settle and lean.
2. 2Keep stacks stable and self-supporting. Use blocking, interlocking, or banding, and limit the height so the pile can't tip over.
3. 3Lumber: remove or bend over nails before stacking, and keep stacks on level, solid supports. Keep lumber piles low enough to handle safely.
4. 4Block brick and block piles: taper back or step back the pile as it gets higher. Pipe, rebar, and other round stock must be chocked or racked so it can't roll.
5. 5Keep aisles, walkways, exits, and access to fire extinguishers and panels clear. Don't store material where it blocks a path.
6. 6Keep material back from floor edges, openings, and the edge of excavations. Don't overload a floor, scaffold, or deck with stored material.
7. 7When you pull from a pile, take from the top and work evenly. If a stack looks like it's leaning, stop and tell the foreman before anyone touches it.

Talk it over

• Which stack on our site right now would you not want to stand next to, and why?
• Where is material blocking a walkway, exit, or an edge, and where should it go instead?
• What deliveries are coming this week, and where will we put them so they sit on solid ground?

Also in the other language: Apilar y almacenar materiales

Official sources

• 29 CFR 1926.250 — Materials storageecfr.gov

More toolbox talks

• Cold stress
• Hand tool safety
• Rebar and impalement hazards