HSE

HSE

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a government agency under the Department of Work and Pensions. They are Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. They work towards ensuring people feel safe where they live, where they work and, in their environment. The HSE use various methods to influence change and help manage risks at work. These include providing guidance, advice, information and engaging with workplaces. They also include HSE racking regulations.

The HSE can conduct inspections and enforce the law to prevent harm and will hold those accountable if they are negligent. If you have an accident in the workplace, the HSE will visit your site to ensure you have met all necessary guidelines.

Failure to demonstrate you have implemented required Health & Safety elements can result in extreme fines. In 2022, the top five penalties from the HSE hit the million-pound mark and, year on year, these keep increasing. 

HSE Racking Regulations

If you have storage equipment in your place of work, there will be numerous HSE racking regulations you must follow to protect staff and follow best practice. As the owner of storage systems including shelving and racking, you have a responsibility to check any supplier, installer and inspector has the correct knowledge to perform the role. 

Image courtesy Rapid Racking Ltd

The HSE work closely with leading industry voices to ensure their experience is incorporated into Health and Safety guidance. One example of this is their work with SEMA. 

To help guide companies through the process, the HSE has developed a best practice document in HSG76 Warehousing and Storage: A Guide to Health and Safety. The guidance document 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 best practices and general prevention to avoid risks and hazards. 

HSG76 references SEMA's work when discussing pallet racking systems.  

The advice covers the lifetime of your equipment: 

  • Racking should only be installed by competent people in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions (they also mention SEIRS as a programme for installation training). 
  • Inspect your racking regularly using a three-tiered process for warehouse racking.
  • Expert inspections should be carried out by highly qualified individuals who have been trained and assessed to enhance their competency in practical and cognitive skill sets (they mention our SARI initiative). 

The guidance advises businesses to adopt a three-tiered approach to inspecting your racking. This includes daily and weekly inspections by your employees supported by training. A qualified inspector, such as our SEMA Approved Rack Inspectors (SARI), must undertake the expert inspection. 

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.