Know your racking inspections

In most warehouses, your racking acts as the backbone of your business. It plays an essential role in helping you to remain productive, profitable and upholding safety standards. While many warehouse owners understand the importance of their ‘Expert’ racking inspections, that’s only part of the picture. Therefore, if you value your employee’s safety, it’s essential to follow the correct inspection steps.

First, you need to be aware that racking inspections are not a ‘once-a-year’ job. Any damage can reduce its load-carrying capacity, so spotting and repairing issues early will help keep your structure safe. That is why the HSE and SEMA recommend a three-tiered approach.

This starts with employees working in areas with racking who are in the ideal position to spot and report the damage they see. To further support the work of these employees, you also need to train a member of your team to undertake the role of Person Responsible for Racking Safety (PRRS). On a weekly basis, they should conduct the Regular Inspection and check for correct racking usage, identify any damage and ensure maximum loads are not exceeded. To meet your HSE requirements, they will make a formal report of their findings with required actions which then form part of your official maintenance documentation.

Of course, your employees can only carry out these roles successfully if they understand the process. This is where training plays its part. You need a course like our Racking Safety Awareness course, referenced in ‘HSG76 Warehousing and Storage: A Guide To Health and Safety’, which covers the frequency of inspections, responsibilities of users and suppliers, recording an inspection, categorising damage levels and understanding load notices.

The last part of the racking inspection circle is the Expert Inspection which is conducted at least once a year by a qualified professional. Be aware that most industry inspections only provide a list of the damage and possibly their locations. However, the report from an inspection undertaken by a SEMA Approved Racking Inspector (SARI) will provide far more detail, including colour-coded damage and timescale for repairs. It’s also worthwhile noting that while conducting an Expert Inspection will meet your HSE requirements, this isn’t the extent of your responsibilities. If your inspection identifies damage and you fail to act on the recommendations the HSE could come down heavily on your business if a serious accident was to occur.

For more information contact SEMA by emailing enquiry@sema.org.uk or visit www.sema.org.uk

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