HSE CDM Regulations: Everything You Need to Know

CDM Regulations

The HSE CDM Regulations have been in force since 2015, but some are still confused about what they mean.

Like most legislation, the idea of the HSE CDM (Construction, Design, and Management) regulations 2015 was to make things simpler. However, also like most legislation, it’s ended up making things more complicated. Or rather, as people learn to adjust to the new system, there’s an understandable amount of confusion. To clear things up, here’s everything you need to know about the HSE CDM Regulations.

What Are the HSE CDM Regulations?

The best way to understand the new HSE CDM regulations is to understand why they were updated in the first place. The idea is to help “clients” (business owners, building owners, storage equipment users, heads of building sites, etc.) better know their role. Despite the “C” standing for “Construction”, Osborne Clarke calculated that about 85% of people affected by the HSE CDM regulations do not work in the construction industry.

This was largely the point of the HSE CDM regulations. By expanding the definition of “construction work”, the HSE CDM regulations aim to protect more people than the original 2007 regulations. “Construction work” now includes building, civil engineering, or engineering work as well as the building of temporary structures used for events, television, film, and entertainment productions.

So, according to the HSE CDM regulations, a television producer now works in the construction industry. This became particularly relevant in 2016 when a court heard that Harrison Ford “could have died” while filming Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Film sets can be dangerous places, and so this is why the CDM regulations expanded its definition of construction. To summarise, “construction work” is now a very broad umbrella and so, if you think you fall into this category, then you probably do.

The idea of this was to give legal protection to people working in industries which, until then, hadn’t been covered by very much health and safety legislation at all. By broadening the definition of “construction work”, it’s helped to simplify things. However, it’s also confused a lot of people, too.

The HSE CDM regulations also simplify other elements of health and safety in the construction industry. Namely, the notions of competence and client responsibility.

Competence and Client Responsibility Under the HSE CDM Regulations

Once again, to understand the HSE CDM regulations’ stance on competence and client responsibility, it’s good to understand why they were updated in the first place. In 2007, the HSE CDM regulations also placed emphasis on the importance of competence. People who worked in construction, according to the regulations, needed to be technically competent. This same idea is echoed in HSE HSG76.

But what do competence and technically competent mean? No-one could agree, and even Tony Mitchell from HSE conceded that the old HSE CDM regulations made things “too complicated”. What’s more, keen to capitalise on the confusion, over 300 “card schemes” emerged with so-called health and safety professionals claiming that paying for their card made you competent in the eyes of HSE and the law. Without a clear definition of competence, no-one could claim that these card schemes weren’t legitimate.

The 2015 regulations now mean that it is ultimately the client’s responsibility to decide who is and is not competent enough to perform a task in their workplace. The client responsibility itself is another important element of the HSE CDM regulations’ update and it has ramifications beyond deciding who is and is not competent enough to perform a task. Whereas before it was partly HSE’s responsibility to ensure that construction work was being done safely, now it is solely the responsibility of the client.

In short, the client decides who is and is not competent, what is and is not safe, and if something goes wrong then it is entirely the client’s responsibility. With these new regulations in place, it’s more important than ever to make sure that businesses, warehouses owners, and storage equipment users follow HSE’s advice. By following HSE guidelines, businesses will be able to defend their actions legally should the worst happen.

A perfect example of this is with regards to racking inspection from a SEMA approved inspector and racking inspection training. HSE recommends racking inspections from an “expert” at least once a year. According to the HSE CDM Regulations, it is for the client to decide who would qualify as a competent enough expert to perform this task. However, HSE mentions SEMA approved racking inspectors as an example of exactly this kind of expert. With that in mind, a SEMA approved racking inspector would be the perfect person to perform this task.

HSE also recommends regular racking inspections from competent staff. The best way that a client could ensure that their staff are competent enough to perform these inspections would be through racking inspection training from a SEMA approved racking inspector — someone labelled as an “expert” by HSE.

To make sure that everyone in your workplace is “competent” enough to perform regular racking inspections, contact Storage Equipment Experts for racking inspection training from a SEMA approved racking inspector.

Simplifying the SEMA Racking Code of Practice: Technical Bulletin No. 1

Damaged racking equipment and unsafe use of racking are the causes of many headaches. In severe cases, it can even be the cause of fatality. While identifying damage is much easier when staff have undergone racking inspection training, choosing the right remedial action can be tricky. Many companies offer repairs that supposedly improve upon the structural integrity of racking equipment, but their methods are often at odds with the SEMA Racking Code of Practice.

For the convenience of all warehouse operators, we’ve created an infographic guide to the SEMA Technical Bulletin No. 1. In it, we take a look at what the organisation advises when it comes to types of racking repairs, some general rules of thumb and a handy traffic light system for classifying damaged racking.

SEMA Racking code of practice: technical bulletin #1 | Storage Equipment Experts

What SEMA Thinks of Different Repair Methods

The myriad of types of repair methods can lead to some confusion, so it’s helpful to see what the SEMA Racking Code of Practice advises in each case. Here’s what the SEMA Technical Bulletin No. 1 recommends:

  • Repairs involving welding are to be avoided in all cases. SEMA does not mince its words here. The sole guidance it provides in relation to welding is as follows: “Such repairs are not recommended.”
  • Repairs to secondary members, such as frame bracings, should be carried out in line with the manufacturer’s guidelines. They should also be covered by the repair company’s warranty and a quality assurance procedure must be put in place.
  • For repairs involving main structural members, specifically racking uprights, the information is much the same as in the previous point. However, this repair should not involve the bending of uprights back into shape. Damaged areas of upright should be cut out and new areas spliced in.

Repairs should also be highlighted during racking inspections. Whilst some warehouses may require more frequent inspections, HSE’s HSG76 recommends a racking inspection frequency of once per year as a bare minimum. These inspections should be interspersed with regular checks from employees who have undergone racking inspection training, in order to keep an eye on racking safety in between expert inspections.

SEMA Racking Code of Practice: The Rule of Thumb for Repairs

While you could spend years studying the various pieces of racking legislation, SEMA Technical Bulletin No. 1 provides a couple of quick rules of thumb. Firstly, it strongly recommends replacing damaged components “like-for-like”. Scrimping on replacement parts may not only void your product warranty, but it may also endanger warehouse staff.

SEMA’s Racking Code of Practice also generally advises against carrying out repairs of damaged components. This doesn’t mean you should replace an entire racking system if become damaged; affected components should be spliced and replaced, rather than being bent back into shape or welded. According to SEMA, any repair that involves the bending of damaged uprights should be avoided.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that SEMA’s advice on repair is backed up by the law. The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 emphasises the importance of repairing and inspecting work equipment, such as racking, whenever damage is suspected.

The HSE Traffic Light System

To assist with the troubleshooting of damaged racking equipment, HSE recommends a traffic light classification system which can be used alongside the SEMA Racking Code of Practice. Damage is ranked green, amber, or red depending on its severity, and appropriate actions are suggested for each category.

Green represents damage which does not require remedial work, but which should be monitored at the next racking inspection.

Amber refers to damage which should be remedied, but which is not so severe as to require immediate offloading. However, once loads are removed from this racking, the equipment should not be reloaded until remedial works have taken place. Racking with amber risk category damage should be considered red risk if remedial work has not been carried out within four weeks of first noting the damage.

Red represents severe damage and racking should be immediately offloaded. The normal course of action in this case would be to replace the damaged components with like-for-like parts. Racking with red risk category damage should be isolated to prevent inadvertent use and further risk to warehouse staff.

At Storage Equipment Experts, we know the SEMA Racking Code of Practice inside out. For racking inspection training from SEMA approved racking inspectors, get in touch today.

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A Quick Guide to SEMA Safety

Young female supervisor communicating with foreman at warehouse

SEMA safety is a big umbrella with lots of different elements of storage equipment safety beneath it.

The Storage Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) is something of an authority when it comes to storage equipment safety. Though their advice is superseded by HSE (Health and Safety Executive), SEMA safety is vital because it is much more specific. SEMA safety doesn’t contradict HSE safety. Rather, it expands on the advice given in HSE HSG76 and then goes into much more detail.

In this quick guide to SEMA safety, you’ll learn about the most basic and important aspects of SEMA safety and how to follow them.

1) The SEMA Code of Practice

More or less every conceivable instance of storage equipment safety is covered in the SEMA Code of Practice. This code is not one document, but many different documents which you can purchase from SEMA at various prices. Not all documents are relevant to all storage equipment users or warehouse owners. Their “Guide to the Specification of Freestanding High Bay Racking and Clad Racks”, for example, is not needed for those warehouse owners who don’t use freestanding high bay racking or clad racks.

If you find HSE HSG76’s advice lacking with regards to your specific storage equipment safety query, these guides are a good place to start. However, if you want to know more about specific elements of racking safety, there are other options.

2) Racking Inspection Training from a SEMA Approved Racking Inspector

The SEMA approved racking inspector program is by far the most rigorous safety program SEMA runs. This is closely followed by the SEMA Cantilever Racking Inspection course. As a result, there are only 104 SEMA approved pallet racking inspectors in the world (with inspectors based in Spain, the UAE, Singapore, and even China) and only 35 SEMA approved cantilever racking inspectors in the world.

A warehouse owner or storage equipment user does not need to take either course. The program is designed for people who want a career as a SEMA approved racking inspector, rather than someone who just wants to know how to operate their racking safely.

For the latter person, we would recommend our racking inspection training course performed by a SEMA approved inspector. Our SEMA approved racking inspector is one of the few people to have passed both the SEMA pallet racking inspection course and the SEMA cantilever racking inspection course. For that reason, our racking inspection training course is one of the best in the UK (with rave reviews from Tate Modern, Hayden’s Bakery, Dunlop, White Stuff, and many others).

If you want to learn about some of the elements of SEMA safety specific to your racking system, but are a little intimidated by the scale of the SEMA Code of Practice, we’d highly recommend our racking inspection training course.

3) SEMA Technical Bulletins

The SEMA Code of Practice is often updated — or elements of it are clarified — with technical bulletins. It’s important to keep an eye out for these as they are often reactions to things happening in the industry. The SEMA Technical Bulletin No. 3 clarifies SEMA and HSE’s interpretation of the use of rack protectors (among other things) in response to people’s incorrect use of them.

These bulletins are a key part of SEMA safety and are great because they are often backed up with direct quotes from HSE HSG76. In other words, these bulletins help storage equipment users to understand HSE HSG76 in context.

4) Racking Inspections by a SEMA Approved Inspector & Staff Racking Inspections

As previously mentioned, SEMA runs different courses in order to train SEMA approved racking inspectors (SARIs). Both HSE and SEMA recommend racking inspections from SARIs at least once a year. HSE also recommend regular inspections from “competent” staff. At Storage Equipment Experts, we believe the best way to ensure that your staff are “competent” enough to perform the regular staff-led inspection HSE recommend is through our racking inspection training course: a course delivered by a SEMA approved racking inspector (SARI).

The importance of “competence” is also echoed in the CDM regulations 2015. As a result, this makes training doubly important.

5) Other Elements of SEMA Safety

SEMA safety also includes many other aspects, such as correct practice for storage equipment installation, storage equipment repair, and the dismantling of storage equipment. Each element of racking safety is covered somewhere in its Code of Practice. Most of the emphasis of HSE warehouse safety and SEMA safety is on the use of racking (as this is what warehouse owners and storage equipment users will spend the bulk of their time doing) but it’s important to pay close attention to the other elements of SEMA safety too. If the worst happens, your racking might need repair or dismantling. When it does, you’ll be glad that what to do is covered by SEMA safety.

For a greater understanding of SEMA safety, contact Storage Equipment Experts today for racking inspection training from a SEMA approved racking inspector.

What Is the SEMA Racking Code of Practice?

SEMA Racking Code of Practice
The SEMA Racking Code of Practice forms the basis for all of the advice SEMA gives, but what is it exactly?

The SEMA Racking Code of Practice is not one article, or one document, but a series of documents which tackle different elements of storage equipment safety. All of them are available to download from the SEMA website for a range of different prices.

The advice issued by the SEMA Racking is consistent with HSE law. If it wasn’t, then there would be no point in following it. HSE’s HSG76 outlines some general principles about warehouse safety and it alludes to relevant laws, but the SEMA Racking Code of Practice is intended as a guide to racking safety specifically — with each separate document dedicated to a specific element of warehouse safety.

Combining SEMA’s knowledge of racking systems with a solid interpretation of the law, the SEMA Racking Code’s of Practice is as close as you can get to storage equipment safety gospel in the UK. In fact, during the SEMA Safety Seminar in June 2015, SEMA revealed that they had been talking with HSE about turning some of their SEMA Racking Code of Practice into law. As of May 2017, this hasn’t happened. However, the fact that HSE and SEMA’s relationship is so close shows how important the SEMA Racking Code of Practice is to storage equipment safety.

What Does the SEMA Racking Code of Practice Say?

It’s hard to summarise the advice, as it’s spread across several different documents and covers many different elements of racking safety, but there are technical bulletins which address some of the more common (and most important) elements of racking safety.

One technical bulletin, for example, addresses the use of rack protectors. Technical Bulletin No. 3, which acts as an update/clarification of the SEMA Racking Codes of Practice, claims that rack protectors are often misused because clause 639 of HSE’s HSG76 gets misinterpreted. The clause states that “where racking is likely to be struck by lift trucks and other vehicles, it should be protected.”

Most end users of racking systems interpret this clause to mean that physical rack protectors are enough to protect a racking system and that vehicles bumping into the rack protectors is just part of the day-to-day workings of a warehouse. In short, many see rack protectors’ job as something which is designed to withstand regular bumps and scrapes from trucks and other machinery.

This is wrong. Rack protectors should be seen as the last resort rather than the only form of rack protection. Rack protection should be preventative and the physical protectors are only there in case they are absolutely needed. Like a motorcycle helmet, rack protectors are not there so you can act recklessly. They are a form of protection intended to save you from the worst possible outcome of an accident.

From this one technical bulletin, we can see how the SEMA Racking Code of Practice works. It is ancillary to — and works alongside — HSE HSG76, the law, and common sense. The SEMA Racking Code of Practice is vital for all users of storage equipment to understand, and users can download every part they need from the SEMA website.

The SEMA Racking Code of Practice & Racking Inspection Frequency

Some of the most important advice issued by both SEMA and HSE is with regards to racking inspections and racking inspection frequency. This is an integral part of the SEMA Racking Code of Practice, HSE HSG76, and storage equipment safety in general.

It’s recommended that all storage systems receive a racking inspections from a SEMA approved inspector at least once a year and a more regular inspection from competent staff. In order to make sure your staff are competent enough to perform regular racking inspections, we would recommend racking inspection training from a SEMA approved racking inspector.

SEMA Approved Racking Inspectors have spent years studying the SEMA Racking Code of Practice as well as understanding all of its updates. So, for a rack safety inspection or rack safety inspection training from a SEMA approved racking inspector and expert on the SEMA Racking Code of Practice, contact Storage Equipment Experts today!

A Guide to Racking Inspection Frequency in Ireland

Inspector in uniform doing racking inspection in a warehouse

Knowing how often to inspect your racking is a vital part of warehouse safety. Unfortunately, Ireland’s HSA is not entirely clear about this particular issue.

In the UK, racking inspection frequency is well defined by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). Warehouses need a pallet rack inspection at least once a year by a’ SEMA approved racking inspector and on a more regular basis by a technically competent staff member. These internal and external racking inspections form the basis of racking inspection safety in the UK.

In Ireland, however, things are much less clear-cut.

Racking Inspection Frequency & HSA

The government body responsible for workplace safety, and therefore warehouse safety, in Ireland is the Health & Safety Authority (HSA). HSA has plenty of information about workplace safety, but none of it mentions pallet racking inspections or how often they should be performed.

The first piece of legislation any Irish business should look at when considering workplace safety of any kind is the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. This act was updated as recently as July 2016 and contains a general outline of all workplace safety law in Ireland. The act mentions the role of “inspectors” and it talks about “inspections”, too. In summary, it says that “inspectors” are whoever HSA authorises as “inspectors”.

However, for warehouses and pallet racking, this definition is not helpful, because the act itself does not mention warehouses or pallet racking. When HSA does mention warehouses and racking specifically, it is not in the 2005 act. Rather, the sum total of HSA’s advice on warehouse safety is a short webpage containing some basic information about warehouse safety in general.

The page also contains a short list of “Helpful Websites”. One of those websites is EU-OSHA, the EU body responsible for health and safety across the EU. Another link included in the list is to HSE’s HSG76. This is the HSE guide in which it recommends racking inspections from a SEMA approved inspector at least once a year from a SEMA approved racking inspector and regular inspections from technically competent staff.

This is not the same as HSA authorising SEMA approved inspectors. However, in a roundabout way, it does mean that it recommends them. In other words, there is no official directive or legally binding HSA stance of racking inspection frequency, but there is the informal suggestion that warehouse owners should follow HSE’s advice in HSG76.

However, there are two reasons why all of this might change…

Ireland and the UK, as of March 2017, are both still members of the EU and, as a result, they are still bound by EU law. The UK may be about to leave the European Union (although what that actually means is still anyone’s guess), but Ireland is not.

As a result, Ireland should follow the EU’s advice and recommendations on racking safety. As it happens, the EU’s stance is very similar to the UK’s: annual inspections from an outside expert should be a minimal requirement and regular inspections from technically competent staff are also recommended. Unlike the UK, however, the EU does not specify who exactly would count as an expert. But there’s no reason why a SEMA approved racking inspector wouldn’t count as one — especially considering SEMA’s relationship with the FEM and, therefore, the EU.

As a member of the EU, HSA needs to clarify whether its own stance on racking inspection frequency differs from the EU’s advice or not. It likely wouldn’t, considering the HSA’s informal recommendation of HSE’s stance, and Irish warehouse owners may soon get the clarification they are looking for with HSA’s Programme of Work for 2016 to 2018.

This press release outlines everything that HSA plans to do up until 2018. In this release, HSA writes exactly one sentence about racking, but this one sentence reveals a lot. Its very first “planned action” for transport and storage is as follows:

“Carry out a program of inspections in the transport sector, including a review of safety and health management and assessments of risks associated with storage and racking.”

Its “performance indicator” for this “planned action” is to make sure that 200 inspections are carried out.

What this means, in plain English, is that HSA has been sending its own inspectors out to warehouses across Ireland. HSA wants to perform at least 200 inspections before 2018. Once these 200 inspections (or more) have been performed, HSA will have a “review” of “risks associated with storage and racking”.

If this “review” is a written and published review, it could mark the beginning of some much clearer racking inspection advice for HSA. Until then, however, Irish businesses are best off following the advice of both HSE and the EU — advice which HSA itself informally condones.

If you’re an Irish business confused by HSA’s stance on racking inspection frequency, don’t hesitate to get in touch for advice, expert racking inspections, or racking inspection training from Storage Equipment Experts.

Which Racking Inspection Courses Do I Need?

Racking Inspection Courses

Racking inspection courses come in all shapes and sizes, but which one is right for you and which one do you need?

Depending on what you plan on doing in the world of warehouse safety, you may need to a racking inspection course. Of course, in some cases, it might be highly recommended and, in other cases, it might simply be a good thing to have. We’re going to break down who needs racking inspection course (and, if so, which ones) and who racking inspection courses are recommended for (and, if so, which ones).

What Kind of Racking Inspection Courses Are There?

Broadly speaking, there are three kinds:

  1. The SEMA Approved Inspector Qualification, which is a course run by SEMA. This course is specifically designed to train and authorise SEMA approved racking inspectors (SARIs).
  2. Private racking inspection courses run by SEMA approved racking inspectors (SARIs) themselves. These courses tend to be designed for warehouse owners and their employees.
  3. Private racking inspection courses run by self-appointed “experts”. We would not recommend these courses to anyone.

Ignoring the third kind of racking inspection course out of hand, the first and second kind of courses are the ones that most people mean when they refer to racking inspection courses.

The first kind of course is needed by people who want to become SEMA approved racking inspectors. Being a SEMA approved racking inspector is a full-time job and requires a lot of hard work. However, if you want to become one, this is the racking inspection course you will need.

The second kind of course is for owners and users of pallet racking systems and provides training to ensure that the racking is maintained safely. This is why we and HSE both highly recommend it.

HSE & Racking Inspection Courses Run By SEMA Approved Racking Inspectors

In HSE’s HSG76, it recommends inspections from a SEMA approved racking inspector at least once a year. It also recommends that businesses perform regular, staff-led inspections. In HSE’s eyes, these staff-led inspections are best performed by the business’ PRRS (person responsible for racking safety). HSE doesn’t define “technically competent” — that is the responsibility of the warehouse owner — but they do identify SEMA approved racking inspectors as “experts”.

It is our belief that a racking inspection course from an expert (a SEMA approved racking inspector) would be enough to make someone technically competent enough to carry out regular racking inspections. What is more, we believe that — for consistency’s sake — it’s best if the technically competent staff member performing these regular inspections is trained by the same SEMA approved racking inspector who performs the business’ yearly inspections.

This is evidently the belief of many other businesses, too, which is why so many SEMA approved racking inspectors offer racking inspection courses. However, there are many reasons why the racking inspection course from Storage Equipment Experts is by far the best.

Businesses Across The UK & Ireland Should Take Storage Equipment Experts’ Racking Inspection Course

  1. It’s run by one of the only SEMA approved racking inspectors to have also passed the SEMA cantilever racking inspection course. This means our SARI is an expert in pallet racking safety and cantilever racking safety.
  2. It’s highly recommended.
  3. We cover the whole of the UK and Ireland.
  4. Our SEMA approved racking inspector is an all-round health and safety expert who has written for a wide variety of publications.
  5. We are based near London and, as a result, our office is extremely easy to access from anywhere in the UK or Ireland.
  6. We have performed racking inspections and have taught racking inspection courses to Pinewood Studios, the Tate Modern, Smiffy’s, Hayden’s Bakery and Dunlop among many, many others.
  7. We specialise in inspecting a wide variety of racking inspection brands, such as PSS, Link 51, Dexion, Schaefer and plenty more.
  8. We provide a free racking inspection safety checklist.

Now you know why we’re the best, contact Storage Equipment Experts today for racking inspection courses and racking inspections from a SEMA approved racking inspector.

Rack Inspection Training and Mechanical Handling

Rack Inspection Training and Mechanical Handling

Warehouse safety is a complete system which requires pallet racking safety as well as mechanical handling safety in order to function.

A safe warehouse is like a well-oiled machine. This means that every part needs to work safely and efficiently with every other part. You cannot ignore other elements of warehouse safety and you cannot view one aspect of warehouse safety in isolation. It’s for this reason that it is vital to know about how pallet racking safety interacts with mechanical handling safety.

However, before that happens, it’s important to define terms.

What Is Pallet Racking Safety?

Pallet racking safety consists of all the procedures, whether those are legal requirements from HSE or recommendations from SEMA, which are concerned with making pallet racking safer.

These procedures include proper installation, proper use, regular inspections from an outside expert, regular inspections from staff members, and rack inspection training to make sure that staff members can perform these internal inspections. As well as all that, warehouse owners are required to repair and/or replace a racking system when necessary.

What Is Mechanical Handling Safety?

Industrial trucks, tractors, forklifts, conveyors; mechanical handling refers to moving anything around warehouse using any of these pieces of technology. Mechanical handling safety refers to all the procedures outlined by HSE, both in HSG76 and in LOLER 1998, which are concerned with making mechanical handling safer.

These procedures vary depending on the type of mechanical handling equipment you’re referring to. As with racking, most equipment requires inspection and users should never exceed the recommended guidelines. What’s more, it’s vital to make sure that you are using equipment which is cleared for usage in the EU. This is true of health and safety in general. However, with mechanical equipment being used in a confined space in combination with other mechanical equipment, it’s especially important.

When Should You Consider Mechanical Handling Safety & Racking Safety Together?

Ideally, you should consider the two kinds of safety together at all times. However, because the two disciplines are often separated by different professions (a SEMA approved racking inspector, for example, is not qualified to inspect a forklift truck) it can be difficult to think of the two safety protocols alongside each other. Still, don’t feel too bad; a lot of research suggests that all humans are terrible at multitasking.

Yet, with our handy ‘cheat sheet’, you won’t need to multitask. You can focus on table to know exactly what HSE recommends you do when these two different safety disciplines interact:

#SituationRacking Safety ConsiderationsMechanical Handling Safety Considerations
1Driving an industrial truck, lift truck, or tow tractor in bad light.You might crash or bump into your storage system, damaging your racking. If so, your system would require an immediate inspection from a SEMA approved racking inspector and be immediately offloaded.Be sure to add lights to your truck or tractor as a precaution for if you ever happen to be driving it in bad light. Better yet, improve the overall lighting of the warehouse.  
2Driving an industrial truck, lift truck, or tow tractor through an aisle with racking systems either side.The narrow space could damage your racking systems. However, the issues to consider here are likely to be unique to your warehouse. As such, HSE recommends “site-specific control measures” which, in turn, means a risk assessment. The narrow space could damage your vehicle. Once again, you will need “site-specific control measures” to tackle this particular issue.
3Driving an industrial truck, lift truck, or tow tractor over an uneven floor.An uneven floor could cause you to temporarily lose control and crash or bump into your storage system. If that does happen, the same advice from #1 follows.Never use a vehicle if the unevenness of the floor exceeds the recommendations of the manufacturer. Perform regular checks of the floor for unevenness.
4Using a truck to lift storage onto a racking system.As before, there are the usual concerns with damaging the racking system, but it’s also important the racking system isn’t overloaded. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions in this case.Be sure to lower the load onto the racking system as soon as the load is clear of the racking. Don’t create unnecessary risk by lifting the load higher than needed.
Also, be sure to make sure that anyone operating the truck keeps constant, two-handed control of the vehicle to prevent any possibility that they might get trapped in between the vehicle and the storage system.

Rack Inspection Training: You Can Never Be Too Safe

Our rack inspection training course covers the many, many aspects of racking inspection safety and how they interact with the rest of the warehouse. A racking inspection training course is a great way for staff members to learn about warehouse safety as a whole discipline, rather than simply one particular aspect of it.

Rack inspection training course is the perfect way to piece together all of the individual parts safely into one complex discipline.

Pallet Racking Inspection Training and Work At Height

a man looking up at a tall warehouse racking

Pallet racking inspection training is one of the many safety procedures warehouse owners should follow. Working at height safety is another.

When working at height, it’s important to be aware of your surroundings and the potential dangers around you. One such danger might be that you ignore racking safety, so it’s important to consider the two safety disciplines together.

In order to do that, though, the definition of terms is vital.

Pallet Racking Safety Is…

Pallet racking safety refers to any kind of procedure designed to make pallet racking — and its use — safer. In the UK, the official safety procedures most relevant to pallet racking come from HSE and SEMA. These safety procedures include pallet racking inspection training, among other things. Pallet racking inspection training and pallet racking inspections in Ireland are not directly recommended by HSA, but there is an informal recommendation.

Work At Height Safety Is…

According to HSE’s HSG76, “work in any place, including above or below ground level, where someone could fall and injure themselves” counts as work at height. In the UK, the Work at Height Regulations 2005 outlines in full an employer’s legal responsibility when asking their staff to work at height. This includes, for example, making sure that people using a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) are either trained themselves or are supervised by a trained person.

Considering Pallet Racking Safety & Work at Height Safety Together

Pallet racking inspection training covers a whole range of procedures for ensuring pallet racking safety through inspections. However, inevitably, the course cannot cover everything. If it did, then HSE would not also recommend annual racking inspections from an expert (such as a SEMA approved racking inspector).

While you should always bear the whole warehouse in mind when thinking about safety, it’s often difficult to consider pallet racking safety and work at height safety at the same time. There are only a handful of specific situations when the two kinds of safety do need to be considered together, though it’s still important to be prepared for said situations.

It’s because of all of this that we have prepared a cheat sheet for the situations when racking safety and work at height safety should be considered together and what you should do in those situations.

#SituationRacking Safety ConsiderationsWork At Height Safety Considerations
1Items falling from rackingItems should be stored properly. While this often means not overloading a racking system, it also means making sure that things are stacked properly and are placed securely. To make sure this happens, always follow the manufacturer’s advice and follow the guidelines for storage set out in the Storage systems chapter of HSG76.The Work at Height Regulations 2005 spells this out as law:

“Every employer shall, where necessary to prevent injury to any person, take suitable and sufficient steps to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, the fall of any material or object.”
This section of the law goes on to explain what employers are legally obliged to do to prevent injury from falling objects.
2Climbing on racking which is not designed for climbingIn short, don’t do it.

However, if someone does climb on it (even though they definitely shouldn’t have) the person responsible for racking safety (PRRS) should immediately check for damage.

If there is any visible damage, immediately offload the system and book a racking inspection from a SEMA approved inspector.		Once again, don’t do it.
3Climbing on racking which is designed for climbingUnless it is specifically designed for the purpose of being climbed on, you shouldn’t climb on racking. Even if the racking system is designed to be climbed on, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instruction and don’t add too much weight to the system.
If the system appears damaged after it’s been used, immediately offload the system and book a racking inspection from a SEMA approved inspector.		If racking is designed for climbing, follow the same advice for working on a ladder. Keep three points of contact, don’t overstretch, etc.
Even if racking is specifically designed for the express purpose of being climbed on, do not climb from an elevated working platform into a racking system.

If you want a better understanding of rack safety, Storage Equipment Experts.
Pallet racking inspection training course will outline all the information and procedures that HSE recommends.

A Guide to Warehouse Safety in Ireland

Costs of a Dangerous Warehouse

How can you ensure the safety of your staff and equipment in Ireland?

Warehouse safety should be a major concern, regardless of where your business operates. While Ireland’s Health and Safety Authority (HSA) covers many aspects of workplace safety, it’s always best to take a holistic view. From manual handling to pallet racking inspections, here are a few important warehouse safety procedures that you should be following. For even more advice, take a look at our infographic below.


Warehouse safety in Ireland infographic

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Racking Inspection Frequency & Seasonal Temperature Changes

Seasonal Temperature Changes

As winter turns to spring, the change in weather can play havoc on your warehouse, HSE’s stance on racking inspection frequency is that all warehouses need an “expert” racking inspection, such as a SEMA racking inspection, at least once a year. However, should you have any issues with your racking whatsoever, you should also be sure that it receives an “expert” racking inspection as soon as possible.

That responsibility is outlined in regulation 6 of The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. Here, it is specified that employers should have their “working equipment”, in this case, a racking system, inspected by an expert in the following instances:

  • After an installation
  • After an assembly at a new site or location
  • At suitable intervals
  • Each time that exceptional circumstances which are liable to jeopardise the safety of the work equipment have occurred

Those last two points highlight why a racking inspection in the spring is so important.

Effect of Seasonal Temperature Changes on Storage Systems

The extreme cold of a large warehouse in the winter can make all metals, even steel, significantly weaker and more brittle. This is unfortunate for racking systems because it is during the winter months when racking systems are most under strain, as businesses try to capitalise on the extra business that Christmas typically brings in.

As a result, after months of enduring cold temperatures and storing excess Christmas stock, most racking systems are already in need of a racking inspection. Then, the warm weather of spring comes and makes things worse. This is because of thermal shock. You’ve likely seen this phenomenon before in reverse, as in from hot to cold, but the principle is the same.

You take a glass out of your dishwasher immediately after the wash has finished. The glass is piping hot, but it’s also a hot day and you want an ice cold drink. So you chuck some ice cubes into the glass, fill the glass up with water from the fridge and what happens?

In many cases, nothing. You enjoy a nice glass of cold water none the wiser. However, in many other cases, the glass can suddenly break due to the thermal shock of going from very hot to very cold. The extremity of the shock depends on the speed of the temperature change, as well as the amount of change in temperature. Not all glasses will smash, but the continued thermal shock has the potential to significantly weaken materials in a way which is invisible to the naked eye.

For this and many other reasons, racking systems are not made of glass. Moreover, the good news is that steel, which most racking systems are made of, is a very strong material. As a result, it is the least affected by thermal shock. That said, it is still affected. Over the course of several years, the thermal shock of British weather can take its toll on a racking system and, as spring approaches, a racking inspection is a vital part of checking for this phenomenon.

What is the Ideal Racking Inspection Frequency?

HSE recommends “expert” racking inspections at least once a year — and the “at least” is vital to understand there. The thermal shock of seasonal temperature change is enough of a reason to increase your racking inspection frequency to at least twice a year: once in spring to check that the wear and tear of Christmas and the thermal shock of spring hasn’t damaged your racking system too much; then once in autumn to check that the thermal shock of the oncoming winter hasn’t damaged your racking in time for another busy Christmas period.

In fact, autumn and winter are particularly important times to check for thermal shock because of the UK’s peculiar and unpredictable weather patterns. In 2016, a freakishly warm “Indian summer” was immediately followed by one of the coldest winters on record.

Of course, depending on your warehouse and the amount you use it, you could consider increasing your racking inspection frequency to four or more times a year. The “at least” from HSE is intentionally vague. As the owner of a warehouse racking system, the CDM regulations mean that you are ultimately responsible for the safety of your system. So, if you’re ever unsure, don’t hesitate to contact us.

If you want to increase your racking inspection frequency, contact Storage Equipment Experts to set up biannual, triannual or last-minute.
Racking inspections from SEMA approved racking inspector who is willing to travel to any business in the UK or Ireland.