HSE racking inspection legislation is unlikely to change in 2017, but many other things might, many other things will, and some things are already beginning to shift.
2016 has been a big year for HSE. Dame Judith Hackitt stepped down as HSE’s chair after eight years in charge, HSE unveiled its new strategy (“Help Great Britain Work Well”), and HSE racking inspection legislation continued to contribute towards a slow but continuous decline in the rate of workplace fatalities and injuries per 100,000 workers.
However, 2017 promises to be an even bigger year. Here are three things to expect from HSE starting January next year.
1. HSE Will Tackle Work-Related Stress
As part of the government’s continued ideological commitment to the “parity of esteem” of mental and physical health in the UK, HSE’s research arm, HSL (the Health and Safety Laboratory), will be delivering a two-day course in February on work-related stress.
The World Health Organisation takes work-related stress seriously and labels recognition and respect at work as “a fundamental human need”. In other words, work-related stress isn’t just something that happens. Not everybody loves their job, but work should not be something which makes people stressed day in and day out. HSE’s course on work-related stress shows that it is taking this issue seriously and tackling it pragmatically.
2. HSE Wants to Change Risk Assessment Guidance
In early October this year, HSE was ask for comments on changes it wanted to make to its risk assessment guidance. HSE’s exact words were that it wanted to “make some changes to our current guidance on risk and we want to hear what you think before we publish it”. It’s hard to say when these changes will be implement, but a likely guess is that they’ll come into effect at some point during 2017.
HSE claims that the reason for this change is based on feedback from businesses that the current risk assessment system is seen as separate to “real business”. HSE wants to change this so that the risk assessment system becomes a natural and helpful part of the day-to-day running of a business, rather than meaningless paperwork. Before it does this, however, it’s looking for feedback.
It will be interesting to see what sort of risk assessment guidance HSE winds up with after this public feedback. We at Storage Equipment Experts — along with many British businesses — will be eager to find out.
3. HSE Racking Inspection Legislation Will Likely Not Change
HSE’s second edition of warehousing and storage was publish in 2007. Since then, its guidance on what warehouse racking regulations should be has not changed. While racking inspections are not technically a legal requirement, acting counter to HSE’s advice means that the “client” (the person legally responsible for anyone entering their warehouse) will be held accountable if anything should happen. This is what the CDM regulations, updated in 2015, dictate and they are unlikely to change in 2017.
At Storage Equipment Experts, we believe strongly in the wisdom of HSE racking inspection legislation. According to HSE’s guidance on warehouse racking inspections, businesses should receive a SEMA racking inspection at least once a year and internal racking inspections should be carried out regularly by “technically competent” staff. That is why we offer racking inspections by a SEMA approved inspector and racking inspection training to businesses across the UK.
Whatever happens in 2017, we at Storage Equipment Experts will continue to deliver our highest quality of service. To prove that we know our stuff better than anyone else, we offer a warehouse racking inspection template in the form of a racking inspection checklist — for free!
This year, next year, or any year, don’t settle for second best! Contact Storage Equipment Experts today for the best racking inspection training in the UK.
