What You Should Know About Racking Safety Regulations
Every business director has a responsibility to provide good governance and manage employee rights. This includes taking steps to ensure they minimise safety risks in the workplace and protect the safety of workers. However, introduce an industry which typically falls in the top ten most dangerous work environments like manufacturing or logistics and the need to keep safety at the forefront becomes paramount. Many factors contribute towards making factories, warehouses and storage facilities dangerous places to work. The warehouse environment is busy with vehicles and employees constantly moving around. There are risks from trips and falls alongside incorrect manual handling. On top of that, with racking rising above warehouse workers' heads, there is the potential of falls from height. So what should you know about racking safety regulations.
For company directors, there is a lot to be aware of and you need to ensure you meet health and safety across the whole warehouse. However, head out to the internet and look for advice on how to create a safe work environment and it can be confusing, especially when the advice is driven by a business looking to sell their products.
As a leading voice in the storage equipment industry, the Storage Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA), takes an impartial viewpoint on the guidance covering your racking. We advise warehouse owners on warehouse pallet racking safety best steps and the legislation they should follow to meet their obligations.
How do racking safety regulations apply in the UK?
The first thing to be aware of is that most guidance covering racking is not a legal requirement. Most of the guidance covers Health & Safety advice issued by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). You do not have to follow the guidance but implementing their steps is normally enough to ensure you meet requirements.
Failure to demonstrate you have implemented required safety standards and the fines can be excessive. In 2022, the top fines from the HSE hit the million-pound mark and, year on year, these keep increasing.
If you are having a new warehouse or manufacturing facility built, the racking work could also fall under the requirements for a construction site. This would make the racking project fall under the requirements of Construction, Design & Management 2015 (CDM 2015) regulations. As a result you, as the client, would be responsible for ensuring the racking project is planned, constructed and completed safely to meet safety measures and regulations as set out in CDM 2015.
Warehouse Health & Safety Legislation
As a multi-faceted environment, there are several Health and Safety documents which cover the day-to-day running of a safe warehouse
This isn't an exhaustive list, but the main documents are:
- Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, 1999
- Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations, 1992
- Manual Handling Operations Regulations, 1992
- Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998
- Work at Height Regulations, 2005
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment, 1998
- Construction Design & Management Regulations 2015
Where can I find racking safety regulations?
The documents above cover health and safety legislation that applies to most warehouse and manufacturing businesses. However, for anyone with racking at their site, some safety guidelines specifically relate to working in areas with storage equipment.
The main racking safety regulations you should follow are:
HSG76 Warehousing and Storage: A Guide to Health and Safety
This guide covers all stages of the racking including manual and mechanical handling, site transport and working at height. It also emphasises warehouse owners' responsibilities to ensure safe work practices and general prevention to avoid risks and hazards.
SEMA Codes
These codes are critical in ensuring products are designed, installed and maintained to conform to quality standards and safety requirements. Through the work of our technical committee, SEMA has led on safe storage practices and many of our technical publications, Design Codes and guidance documents are acknowledged across the industry.
It is not a legal requirement to follow these guidance documents. However, if you fail to meet your legislative requirements and HSE were to take enforcement action they can use the HSG76 and SEMA Codes frameworks to bring action against your business.
Pallet Racking Design
As an engineered structure the design of your storage racks must fulfil set criteria to ensure the structure is suitable for its intended purpose. HSG76 states that ‘Racking systems should be of good mechanical construction, of sound material, adequate strength and installed and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.'
When designing your racking, suppliers should conform to either SEMA Design Codes or EN 15512. Both are industry-acceptable standards which instruct on the structural analysis of racking, what types of heavy loads to consider, how to test components and what safety factors are required when designing equipment. The design should also incorporate how to keep workers safe including other material handling equipment that works around the racking.
Best practice for Racking Installation
HSG76 very clearly stipulates key considerations for the installation of your pallet rack and states that ‘Racking should be erected on sound, level floors, capable of withstanding the point loading at each base plate. Aisles should also be wide enough to ensure that mechanical handling equipment can easily manoeuvre.' It also asks that ‘The racking should only be installed by competent people in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.'
To help business owners meet HSG76 and CDM 2015 requirements, SEMA developed the Storage Equipment Installers Registration Scheme (SEIRS). The training programme is designed to raise standards at the point of installation and instruct installers on the correct methods in line with SEMA standards. SEIRS is also referenced in HSG76.
To improve standards, site managers of main and principal contractors may also require contractors to hold a CSCS card. Being a cardholder is a quick way of checking the qualifications of contractors on their site. Racking installation is a skilled trade and, to meet requirements, racking installers should only hold a SEIRS CSCS card which is available only through SEIRS.
Racking Usage
Once in place, you are responsible for ensuring you check your racking and shelving and damage is recorded and actioned. To help you meet a high level of safety you must undergo regular inspections for damage which will spot if there are issues with the racking. HSG76 recommends regular inspections and nominating a ‘person responsible for racking safety' (PRRS)' who will ensure monthly checks via a visual inspection is conducted regularly and maintain a written record of the findings. The PRRS will also ensure a Load Notice is fixed to the racking, proper loading of the structure and that maximum load capacities are never exceeded.
HSG also recommends employee training. As referenced in HSG76, a rack safety awareness course is available through SEMA which not only trains for the role of the PRRS to undertake monthly checks on a regular basis but ensures anyone working in areas with racking can identify and report on signs of damage.
The role of pallet racking inspections
The inspection process, in accordance with PUWER, must be completed via an Expert Inspection which is conducted at least once a year. HSG76 states the inspection must be ‘carried out by a technically competent person.' This should be a qualified rack inspector whose written report should be submitted to the PRRS with observations and proposals for any necessary remedial work.
To assist the industry SEMA runs the SEMA Approved Racking Inspector (SARI) initiative. To achieve their qualification, attendees must pass an intensive three-day training course, written exam, and practical assessment. A report by a SARI inspector will follow a traffic light damage system which provides guidance on the safety conditions and a timescale for repairs.
If your Expert Inspection reports signs of damage which require repairs, take a cautious approach when choosing a company to undertake the work. Check your supplier works to SEMA guidance and manufacturer's specifications otherwise, it could impact heavily on your equipment's safety and result in expensive remedial costs.
Get help with racking regulations
If you need help meeting industry standards, upholding safety of workers and providing a safe work environment, get in touch with one of our SEMA Members. They are industry-leading experts whose work covers each crucial stage of your storage system's lifetime. More importantly, each member must submit to an independent assessment to check they meet our exacting quality and safety standards.
If you'd like more advice about meeting your requirements for warehouse racking, please contact SEMA.
