System-Directed Putaway
System-directed putaway of received pallets and cases using warehouse management system assignments, covering scan confirmation of license plate and location, location capacity and weight limits, travel and placement rules, and the exception path when the directed location cannot be used.
- Audience
- Putaway associates, certified forklift and reach truck operators, and receiving leads
- Review cycle
- semiannual
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- Revision
- 1
What is in the procedure
7 sections. Regulatory language is fixed and passes through verbatim. Sections marked customized get rewritten around your facility, your equipment, and your job titles.
- 01
Purpose
FixedThis procedure establishes how received inventory is moved from the receiving staging area into its storage location under warehouse management system direction.
- 02
Scope
CustomizedThis procedure applies to all system-directed putaway of palletized and case level inventory from the receiving staging area or the cross dock into reserve, pick face, bulk floor, or flow rack locations.
- 03
Responsibilities
CustomizedPutaway operators confirm each scan, verify the load is stable and within capacity before travel, and place the load only in the location the system directs or in a documented override location.
- 04
Procedure: Directed Putaway
Fixed1. Accept the task on the device and read the assignment: source staging location, license plate, item, quantity, and directed destination.
- 05
Location Capacity and Slotting Limits
CustomizedThe directed location must respect four limits at once: the beam level's rated capacity, the location's cubic capacity, the pallet's height clearance to the beam above, and the facility's rules on what may be stored...
- 06
Exception Handling
CustomizedStop and report, rather than improvising, whenever the directed location cannot be used.
- 07
References
Fixed29 CFR 1910.176 Handling materials, general.
OSHA references
System-Directed Putaway: 29 CFR 1910.176(b)
Every SOP generated from this template cites the paragraphs below, with a plain-language summary of what each one requires. Citations are informational and are not legal advice.
| Standard | Title | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| 29 CFR 1910.176(b) | Handling materials, general: secure storage | Storage of material must not create a hazard. Material stored in tiers must be stacked, blocked, interlocked, and limited in height so that the storage is stable and secure against sliding or collapse. A system-directed location is only a suggestion about where inventory should live; the operator remains responsible for confirming that the load will actually sit stable and secure in that location. |
| 29 CFR 1910.176(a) | Handling materials, general: use of mechanical equipment | Where mechanical handling equipment is used, sufficient safe clearances must be allowed for aisles, at loading docks, through doorways, and wherever turns or passage must be made. Aisles and passageways must be kept clear and in good repair, with no obstruction across or in an aisle that could create a hazard. Applied to putaway, this is the paragraph that forbids placing a load so it overhangs into the aisle. |
| 29 CFR 1910.178(o)(2) | Powered industrial trucks: loading | Only loads within the rated capacity of the truck may be handled. Rated capacity is reduced by lift height, load center, and attachments, so the operator must read the truck's data plate and confirm the load is within capacity at the height it will be placed, not just at floor level. |
| 29 CFR 1910.178(m)(2) | Powered industrial trucks: truck operations | No person may be allowed to stand or pass under the elevated portion of a truck, whether it is loaded or empty. During putaway this means the operator must clear and keep clear the area beneath and around a raised load before lifting into a rack location. |
| 29 CFR 1910.22(a) | Walking-working surfaces: general requirements | Walking-working surfaces must be kept in a clean, orderly, and sanitary condition and free of hazards such as spills, debris, and protruding objects that create slip, trip, or fall hazards. Aisles used for putaway travel, and the floor at the location being filled, fall under this requirement. |
Compliance checklist
What an inspector looks for
Loads are placed so that storage is stable and secure against sliding or collapse
29 CFR 1910.176(b)
No load overhangs into the aisle, which is kept clear and in good repair with safe clearance for mechanical handling equipment
29 CFR 1910.176(a)
No load is pushed into the rack flue space, which is kept clear as a facility practice under the building's NFPA 13 sprinkler design
Loads are within the truck's rated capacity at the lift height and load center used
29 CFR 1910.178(o)(2)
No one is permitted to stand or pass under an elevated load during placement
29 CFR 1910.178(m)(2)
Putaway aisles and the floor at the location are kept clear of spills, debris, and protruding objects
29 CFR 1910.22(a)
The license plate and the destination location are both scanned, not keyed or accepted by sight
Pallet and load condition is inspected before travel and unstable loads are corrected first
Sprinkler clearance and flue space are maintained and product is never stored above the top beam level
Overrides of a directed location are supervisor approved and recorded in the system
Damaged or tagged out of service locations are never loaded
Waitlist
Generate this SOP for your facility
At launch you answer the facility questionnaire once and this template comes back with your equipment, your titles, and your sign-off sheet attached.
This page is informational and is not legal advice. Have a qualified safety professional review any procedure before it goes into service at your facility.