Raise your hand if you are aware that there is a published standard for pallets… As I suspected, not so many hands raised. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) MH1 pallet standard is almost unknown to the typical pallet end user or supplier.

            So, why would we want a pallet standard? For one, a standard allows for direct comparison between pallets, not only in performance specifications, but also in defining the terminology common in the industry. Pallet marketing material, for example, may misstate pallet performance information due to the misuse of terminology or the misunderstood performance criteria. With the criteria and terminology well defined within the standard, all parties will obtain a greater knowledge base for discussion. This levels the playing field and helps with conflicts between the end user and supplier or equipment manufacturer. Furthermore, equipment manufacturers can improve their design capabilities of material handling equipment when they know the defined specifications of the pallet that will be used.

            The MH1 committee is charged by ANSI to develop and maintain the pallet standard that is published by the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA), the secretariat of the committee. The committee membership is quite comprehensive, representing various pallet interests including pallet end users, military pallet end users, interested parties such as NWPCA, the International Truck Association (ITA), the Center for Unit Load Design at Virginia Tech, and manufacturers of wood, plastic, metal, and paper pallets.

            One of the most common complaints concerning pallets is acceptable vs. unacceptable damage level. Contrary to popular belief, pallets are used over and over, whether in a pallet pool or in a repair market. As the pallet is used, components will split and often break off the pallet. There is often a misunderstanding of what level of damage requires repair. With the pallet standard at hand, it is easy to measure the damage to the standard and determine if the repair is, or is not, required.

            It makes sense that to trust a standard you should know how it was developed. The original parts of the standard were taken directly from the NWPCA Uniform Standard and includes parts covering definitions, wood components, nails, and testing methods. The standard has expanded over the years to include parts covering slip sheets, pallet performance recommendations for automated material handing equipment, and military pallets.

            The MH1 Pallet Standards Annual Meeting (which includes pallets, slip sheets, and other bases for unit loads) was held on May 21, 2009 in Washington, D.C. The committee has been working for the last several years to expand the standard to include plastic, metal, paper, and potentially presswood pallets. The current parts were assigned to committee members to review outside the meeting, which includes reformatting, simplifying, and clarifying for better readability.

            During the meeting the committee reviewed the drafts of the new parts. These new parts are expected to be ready for balloting in mid 2010 and will be included as a part of the regular five year review due at that time. With the inclusion of the new parts, the standard will be the all encompassing reference for the pallet industry for both manufacturers and end users. Not only will it help ensure that performance statements are based on common terms and measurements, but it will also be an excellent resource and tutorial for anyone wanting to learn about pallets.

            Of course, critics of standards use often fear that the end user will control pallet manufacturers. Without a standard pallet end users will create specifications that are not realistic for industry manufacturing capabilities, a much worse situation.  This is where the MH1 standard is so powerful - it is not just an industry standard, but is a much broader document that is balloted and approved by a cross section of manufacturers, end users, and stakeholders.

            The standard can help pallet end users make informed decisions on their own pallet needs and specifications, while at the same time preventing customer specifications that are outside the standard – a certain benefit for pallet manufacturers.

            So, now that you know that a pallet standard exists – raise your hand if you would like to obtain this standard for FREE? That’s a much better showing! The current standard is now available as a free download from the MHIA website (www.mhia.org) in the MHIA bookstore. Every end user, pallet manufacturer, or equipment designer that uses pallets should have this standard on their desks!