The Best Racking Inspection Training Course in the UK

Racking Inspection Training Course

At SEMA Racking Inspections, we believe in the importance of racking inspection training and it is because of this that we deliver the best racking inspection training course in the UK. That isn’t just hot air. We know that, to be the market leader in any industry, you need to have a unique selling proposition. Which is why we at SEMA Racking Inspections are proud to have three things that make us unique and separate us from our competitors…

Location, Location, Location

Even if you are eager to for your staff to learn more about how to perform pallet racking inspections, you might find it inconvenient to travel to far out cities. Time is money and having to take set aside two days for a journey to a training session can hurt your profits. Fortunately, SEMA Racking Inspections is based in the heart of London and our training centre is only 15 minutes from Kings Cross Station and Euston Station by London Underground. London itself is accessible from anywhere in the country. Even from Edinburgh, you can reach London with a direct train in under four and half hours.

Racking Inspection Training Course Delivered by a SEMA Approved Racking Inspector

At SEMA racking inspections, we have written at length about the importance of using a SEMA approved racking inspector for pallet racking inspections. HSE recommend a SEMA racking inspector for a pallet racking inspection at least once a year, and so a SEMA approved racking inspector is the perfect person to deliver racking inspection training.

Passion for the warehousing industry

Being a SEMA approved racking inspector is ongoing commitment that is assessed every year. A big part of this assessment is attending courses, seminars, and imparting knowledge. This is precisely why we at SEMA Racking Inspections attended the June 2015 SEMA seminar, SEMA’s July 2015 cantilever racking course, and have written articles about these events in order to impart knowledge. However, we have gone beyond the call of duty when it comes to sharing our wisdom by also writing articles for international publications, American publications, and British publications on a wide variety racking safety related issues. It is this same passion for racking inspection safety which lead us to develop our racking inspection training program.

Now that you know what makes us great, don’t settle for second best! Contact SEMA Racking Inspections today for racking inspection training delivered by the best SEMA approved racking inspector in the UK.

Behind the Racking: 3 Things You Didn’t Know About Warehouse Safety

warehouse safety uk

To a casual observer, the world of warehouse safety may seem to be all about tape measures and high-vis jackets. However, there is a lot more to it than that. So here are three things that you probably did not know about warehouse safety.

1) Many of SEMA’s Racking Inspection Experts do Work in Their Free Time

SEMA’s technical committee are the highest authority when it comes to technical queries about SEMA codes and racking inspections. These codes affect everybody involved in warehouse safety and form a big part of HSE’s guide to warehouse safety.

Despite this though, the members of the SEMA technical committee respond to most queries about these codes in their spare time. Warehouse safety is an industry made up of people who are willing to go the extra mile to make sure that pallet racking is inspected safely, that forklifts are used correctly, and racking systems are never overloaded.

2) The Quality of Warehouse and Racking Safety can Depend a Lot on Personality

Warehouse safety is not the entertainment industry, but likable and approachable personalities still matter. Safety is a matter of following regulations, but employees will be less inclined to follow those regulations if the person explaining them is a bad motivator. If a manager is enthusiastic about safety protocols, and if they are a charismatic and confident communicator, then other people will be enthusiastic about these protocols too. According to business journalist Joyce. E. A. Russell, “enthusiasm is contagious”.

At SEMA racking inspections, we believe in sharing our passion and enthusiasm for safety. This is why we deliver training courses on racking inspection safety through SEMA approved racking inspectors who are excited by what they do.

3) Warehouse and Racking Inspection Safety Affects Everyone

Warehouse safety is the cornerstone of any supply chain, and changes to the nature of warehouse safety in country can create an international ripple effect. When the HSE makes cuts to spending in the UK, this can have a potential impact on the US and the rest of the world.

Most of us, consumers and businesses alike, interact with warehouses on a day-to-day basis. If you order something online, if you order more supplies for your company, or if you need to contact a wholesaler, then warehouse safety affects you.

High safety standards can speed up supply, which increases productivity and is good for an economy. Low safety standards, on the other hand, can cost businesses huge amounts of money in lawsuits. In the US, this cost is estimated to be around 170 billion dollars per year.

The profit margins of a business and the overall economy is something which everybody should be concerned about. And, though so much of it is tied to warehouse safety, many people have never set foot inside a warehouse, let alone knows what goes on inside. Warehouse safety is the silent guardian of our businesses, our economy, and our well being, so it is worthwhile knowing about it.

Don’t let warehouse safety be a mystery to you. Contact SEMA racking inspections for racking inspection training delivered by the best SEMA approved racking inspectors in the UK.

How do HSE’s New CDM Regulations Affect You?

HSE’s New CDM Regulations UK

On the 17th September 2015, Tony Mitchell from HSE came to speak with SEMA about the new CDM regulations. These new regulations replace the old 2007 regulations which Mitchell conceded were “too complicated”. The idea of simplifying and streamlining the CDM regulations means that responsibilities have shifted and definitions have changed. So how does this affect SEMA approved racking inspectors and others involved in the warehousing industry?

Client Responsibility

In the old 2007 CDM regulations, responsibility for safety was shared between HSE middle management and the person in charge of a project. However, the biggest change to the CDM regulations was the clarification of who a “client” was and their role. Essentially, anybody who now starts a building project is a client and the client is responsible for all safety on site.

Putting the onus of responsibility on clients removes the need for a large number of middle managers within HSE. This stripping back of HSE personnel falls in line with the HSE’s promise to reduce spending and reduce overall regulations. However, whether or not this will benefit for the construction industry remains to be see, and HSE are always eager for feedback on how this affects your business.

SEMA Approved Racking Inspectors and Defining “Competence”

In the HSE’s Warehousing and Storage: A Guide to Health and Safety, they state that any person involved in any work in your warehouse needs to be “competent”. Moreover, they also state that a “technically competent” person should perform a racking inspection at least once every 12 months. HSE recommend SEMA approved racking inspectors calling them “expert inspectors”.

From this, it is clear that HSE regard SEMA approved racking inspectors as “technically competent”. By contrast, Mitchell argued at the SEMA seminar that a key problem with the 2007 CDM regulations was that competence was not as clearly defined. He claims that this gave rise to over 300 card schemes and a lot of confusion. In the new CDM regulations, judging the competence of the workforce is now entirely the client’s responsibility.

With that in mind, SEMA’s role is more important than ever. Ensuring that your staff receive racking inspection training from a SEMA approved racking inspector is a perfect way to guarantee their competence in the workplace.

Make sure that your warehouse is a technically competent workplace. Contact us for the UK’s best racking inspection training program delivered by the best SEMA approved racking.

What Would “Brexit” Mean for SEMA?

SEMA Racking Inspection UK

Businesses, politicians, and voters are all wondering what “Brexit” (British exit from the EU) could mean.

for them, and SEMA are no different. At the SEMA meeting on 17th September 2015, members of SEMA’s team as well as SEMA approved racking inspectors, and people from all areas of the construction industry, came together to discuss what Brexit would mean for SEMA. There are many things to consider.

What Kind of Brexit are We Talking About?

To quote one observer, the EU is a reflection of how much “Europe loves asterisks that add exceptions to complicated agreements”. For this reason, it is very hard for to debate about whether Brexit would be good or bad without deciding on what relationship the UK would have with the EU after its exit.

To begin with, the UK is already an exception to some EU rules. Most notably, we are not part of the Schengen Zone or the Eurozone.

Nigel Farage has often campaigned for a Brexit that would leave us within the European Economic Area (EEA) but outside of the EU. Countries in this position include Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. Farage’s view is that this sort of position would be good for UK because it would mean a trade relationship with the EU but the ability to have more control over our own laws.

However, critics disagree and argue that it is not as simple as Farage believes. For a start, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland are all part of the Schengen Zone and so they have much less border control than Farage would like.

Added to that, all three countries still have to pay a membership fee. Then there are the problems of how the UK would look internationally without the EU and the economic concerns tied to that. For Brexit to look how Farage wants it to look, the UK would have to negotiate a deal that is wholly unique as well as address the issue of UK’s international position.

What Would Brexit Mean for the Racking Inspection and Warehousing Industry?

Some of those in favour of Brexit argue that in their dream scenario, the UK would still be able to trade with the EU but it would not have to obey EU laws. Most relevant to SEMA, it would not have to obey EU health and safety laws.

However, the likelihood of the EU agreeing to this relationship is debatable. Moreover, even if David Cameron is able to negotiate Brexit without alienating key trading partners, it could still be bad for business.

SEMA are currently the UK representative for the European Federation of Materials Handling (FEM) and a member of European Committee for Standardization (CEN). According to SEMA, CEN are “the official EU organization responsible for creating and maintaining European standards”.

Without the EU, it is unlikely that SEMA will continue to have this responsibility on the European stage. It is possible that this could weaken their influence.

Are We Having this Debate too Soon?

The problem with the EU debate is that the UK government has yet to finish outlining what  Brexit might look like. Many of the key issues are still up for debate and so there is much conjecture. Still, that hasn’t stopped influential business figures from making their position clear. Whatever the future of the EU, SEMA and the whole of the racking inspection industry will be sure to continue delivering the highest safety standards.

Whatever the future may hold, be sure that your warehouse is safe. Contact SEMA Racking Inspections to for a visit from the best SEMA approved racking inspector in the UK.