Warehouse Racking Inspection
Stay on Top of Your Racking Inspection
It’s easy to take the racking installed in your warehouse or factory for granted. Let’s be honest, if it’s doing its job correctly that’s exactly what you should be able to do. But here’s the problem, most businesses are completely unaware of the delicate balance between safe racking and something going wrong. This is where a warehouse racking inspection will help.
Fortunately, severe collapses in the UK are few and far between but even a small failure of your racking can lead to injury or a loss of life. That’s before you consider the expense of an HSE investigation and loss of working time. However, the vast majority of incidents and associated costs are easily avoidable by adhering to a rigorous racking inspection programme.
Once the structure is up, warehouse owners need to inspect and maintain it. The design of your storage equipment allows for some wear and tear and the inevitable knocks but there is a limit to what it can take. Any damage to racking will reduce its load-carrying capacity and even minor issues can quickly develop into a serious problem if not addressed.
To help companies navigate safety in their racking, the HSE produces HSG76 Warehousing and Storage: A Guide to Health and Safety.
It is not a legal requirement to follow this best practice document but, adhering to the advice is usually enough to comply with legislation. They, along with SEMA, recommend adopting a three-tiered approach to racking inspections.
Immediate Warehouse Racking Inspection
Your staff need to be racking aware. They need to know how to work with the equipment, identify if a problem arises, and what processes to take. This means equipping staff with the tools they need to become safety advocates. After all, they use the equipment regularly and are best placed to catch potential problems early.
HSG76 advises your employees receive training on the safe operation of racking systems and references the SEMA Racking Safety Awareness Course (RSA). SEMA develops their training around guidance and Codes of Practice and is very specific to end users' sites. The course covers the safe operation and use of racking systems, an explanation of load notices and provides examples of damage categorisation and prevention.
Regular Warehouse Racking Inspection
HSG76 also recommends that at least once a week, a nominated member of your team performs a visual racking inspection. The team ensures the correct use of the racking, inspection and maintenance. They will also check that Load Notices are in place and loading conditions are observed. The team reports their findings as part of the official maintenance documentation.
Our RSA course provides the training your employees need to undertake this role including guidance on in-house rack inspections, risk assessment and how to report and record damage levels and action points.
Expert Warehouse Racking Inspection
At least once a year you must get your racking inspected by a professionally qualified racking inspector. The inspector will conduct racking and storage condition assessments, reports and recommendations to maintain safety in your workplace.
As a benchmark for the industry, SEMA operates a nationwide network of SEMA Approved Racking Inspectors (SARIs). SARI inspectors are trained and assessed in several areas and disciplines to enhance their competency in practical and cognitive skill sets. Their detailed inspection report will cover the suitability and compatibility of your equipment and rack configuration type. The inspectors classify any damage using a traffic light system to indicate actions required and over what timescale.
Full Service From SEMA Members
Our SEMA members have been independently audited for full quality assurance and meet the highest industry standards and codes of practice.
SEMA members are committed to supporting the quality and safety standards of their work through SEMA's SEIRS and SARI initiatives. Our membership groups include:
- SEMA Approved Manufacturer - Full Members are industry-leading manufacturers of racking and shelving systems.
- SEMA Associate Members provide support systems and services that complement equipment supplied by manufacturing members
- SEMA Approved Members and SEMA Approved Members – Advanced supply racking and shelving equipment.. A company's membership status is awarded depending on the score they receive from the MAS audit and their commitment to SEMA initiatives such as SEIRS and SARI
With their knowledge and expertise, our SEMA members can support you through the lifetime of your racking to ensure comprehensive pallet racking safety.
KNOWLEDGE HUB
Looking for guidance on your storage equipment? Head over to our Knowledge Hub where we provide an insight into warehouse systems, industry requirements, best practice measures and how to improve safety standards.
