CWLP Material Handling 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A warehouse is experiencing a high rate of product damage during putaway. Which root cause analysis step should be taken FIRST?
- Replace all forklift operators immediately
- Review equipment inspection logs, operator training records, and slot configuration to identify patterns (Correct answer)
- Purchase new racking systems
- Reduce the speed limit for all forklift operations to 1 mph
Correct answer: Review equipment inspection logs, operator training records, and slot configuration to identify patterns
Systematic root cause analysis using data (inspection logs, training records, damage location patterns) identifies the actual cause before corrective action is taken.
Question 2: What is the purpose of rack protection (column guards and end-of-aisle protectors) in a warehouse?
- To display safety signage on the rack uprights
- To absorb or deflect forklift impacts and prevent structural rack damage (Correct answer)
- To prevent employees from climbing on the racks
- To indicate the maximum permissible load for each bay
Correct answer: To absorb or deflect forklift impacts and prevent structural rack damage
Column guards and end-of-aisle protectors are sacrificial barriers that absorb forklift impacts, protecting rack uprights from damage that could cause structural failure.
Question 3: Which picking method assigns a picker to a specific zone and has them pick all orders that require product from that zone?
- Wave picking
- Batch picking
- Zone picking (Correct answer)
- Cluster picking
Correct answer: Zone picking
Zone picking divides the warehouse into zones, with each picker responsible for fulfilling order lines only within their assigned area.
Question 4: What is the CORRECT procedure when a forklift must travel with a raised load?
- Travel at full speed to minimize time with elevated load
- Lower the load to travel height (typically 6–8 inches off the ground) and tilt mast back slightly (Correct answer)
- Keep the load raised for better visibility ahead
- Only travel backward when carrying a raised load
Correct answer: Lower the load to travel height (typically 6–8 inches off the ground) and tilt mast back slightly
Traveling with a lowered load (6–8 inches) and slightly tilted-back mast lowers the center of gravity and improves stability, reducing tip-over risk.
Question 5: A company is selecting between wooden and plastic pallets for an international shipment. A key regulatory reason to choose heat-treated wood or plastic pallets is:
- Plastic pallets weigh less and reduce freight costs
- ISPM 15 requires wood pallets used in international trade to be treated to prevent spread of invasive pests (Correct answer)
- Plastic pallets are required by US Customs
- Wood pallets are banned in all food-grade applications
Correct answer: ISPM 15 requires wood pallets used in international trade to be treated to prevent spread of invasive pests
ISPM 15 (International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures) requires wood packaging used in international trade to be heat-treated or fumigated to prevent pest transfer across borders.
Question 6: Which KPI is MOST useful for measuring the efficiency of a warehouse's material handling equipment fleet?
- Number of SKUs stored per square foot
- Equipment utilization rate (percentage of available time equipment is productively used) (Correct answer)
- Ratio of inbound to outbound shipments
- Number of full-time employees per dock door
Correct answer: Equipment utilization rate (percentage of available time equipment is productively used)
Equipment utilization rate measures how much of the available operating time is spent on productive work, revealing idle time and capacity for improvement.
Question 7: When using a pallet jack on a ramp or incline, the load should be positioned:
- Uphill from the operator so the load does not roll back onto them (Correct answer)
- Downhill from the operator to provide better braking leverage
- On the side of the operator for improved visibility
- In any position, as long as the load is secured with stretch wrap
Correct answer: Uphill from the operator so the load does not roll back onto them
The load should be uphill from the operator so that if the pallet jack rolls, the load moves away from (not toward) the operator, preventing crushing injuries.
CWLP Material Handling 5
A warehouse is experiencing a high rate of product damage during putaway.
Which root cause analysis step should be taken FIRST?