The Link Between Racking Safety and Sustainability

Racking Safety and Sustainability Business

Sustainable business and safe business are two things that go hand in hand more often than people realise. A practice introduced to increase safety usually has the added bonus of making a company more sustainable and vice versa. The inverse is also true, and examples of this are everywhere.

Short-Term Thinking: Lack of Safety and Lack of Sustainability in Business

In the United States, the four most dangerous states to work in, as measured by workplace fatalities per 100,000 workers, are North Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Alaska. As a result, it’s not surprising to learn that the four biggest polluting states, as measured by carbon emissions per capita, are North Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Alaska.

Around the world, there are far too many other examples of unsafe working conditions being linked with unsustainable business practices. In China, poor warehouse safety caused two chemical explosions. This was devastating for both the local people and the local environment. In Indonesia, appalling working conditions are being coupled with one of the deadliest environmental catastrophes of the last two centuries.

Short-term thinking in business is what leads to both danger and environmental problems. Due to unsafe working conditions during stadium building for the 2022 World Cup, Qatari businesses are responsible for thousands of deaths. This same shortsightedness in business explains why Qatar is also the largest producer of carbon emissions per capita in the world.

Long-Term Thinking: How Racking Safety Leads to More Sustainable Business

Journalist Aishwarya Nair looks back on when government safety guidelines first introduced, noting that “businesses eventually realised that health and safety benefited their bottom line”. She then goes on to argue that businesses now “need to recognise sustainability does the same”. The idea is a sound one. After all, if your business is safe and sustainable, then it will most likely be more efficient and therefore more economical too.

Racking safety is a prime example of this. Unsafe racking is harder to use, more likely to lead to spillages, and requires time. All of these things can harm the workers, the environment, and profits respectively. This is why it is good for businesses to have regular pallet racking inspections and racking inspection training from a SEMA approved racking inspector: it is smart decision that will benefit them long term.

In order to be safe and sustainable, businesses need to look to the future. Investing in decisions that help to achieve long-term goals requires patience and foresight. More than that, long-term thinking is the key to making a business a good thing for workers and a good thing for the planet.

Invest in your business’ long-term future with racking inspection training for you and your staff from the UK’s best SEMA approved racking inspector.

SEMA Racking Safety

What Does 2016 Mean for Racking Safety?

Racking Safety in SEMA approved inspectors UK

2015 was a big year for racking safety, with the SEMA Safety Conference in November, the SEMA Seminar in June, and HSE’s introduction of new CDM regulations, but 2016 promises to be even bigger. Here are a few things to look out for this year.

1. Racking Safety Awareness Training & Racking Inspection Training

As usual, SEMA are running a variety of racking safety awareness courses throughout the year. SEMA have outlined their schedule for 2016 with three to four courses being run every month. The courses are all on racking safety, cantilever racking safety, and racking maintenance.

Many businessmen and SEMA approved racking inspectors will be in attendance. Here at Storage Equipment Experts, we too are continuing our commitment to safety training by continuing to run our racking inspection training course: the best course of its kind in the UK.

2. HSE’s New Attitude Towards Racking Safety, Warehouse Safety, and Workplace Safety

The current government and the previous coalition government have made several promises to treat mental health with the same concern as physical health, and HSE’s new series of courses seem to echo these promises. On their website, HSE has a full list of the courses on offer in the first few months of 2016, and several of these are dedicated to understanding how behaviour and mental health can affect the workplace.

The idea that prevention is the best form of protection for racking has long been a mantra for people in the warehousing industry. Consequently, in the June 2015 SEMA Seminar, the idea of “racking protection” was clarified; physical protection should be a last resort but racking safety regulations and regular racking inspection come first.

With HSE’s new courses on workplace behaviour and mental health, managers and employers can focus on a third level of protection: Why do workers take risks in the first place? How can I identify safe and unsafe behaviour? And how can I encourage healthier and therefore safer behaviour in my workplace?

At Storage Equipment Experts, we have long believed that the right behaviour, the right attitude, and the right motivation are key to the safety of any business. We agree that, while regulations are important, it is also vital to look at the human side of safety. Businesses are usually keen to motivate their staff for sales, but they are not often as keen to motivate them for safety.

However, Storage Equipment Experts, HSE, and the larger safety community see things differently. With a new attitude towards mental health and some great training lined up, 2016 will be a brave new year for racking safety and British workplace safety as a whole.

Start this brave new year with a smart and safe choice. Contact Storage Equipment Experts for a racking inspection and racking inspection training from the best SEMA approved racking inspector in the UK!

Racking Inspection Training

What are the Costs of a Dangerous Warehouse?

Operating in a dangerous warehouse is the fastest way to make sure that your business fails. Without regular pallet racking inspections, your warehouse ceases to be a storage solution and instead becomes a storage problem. How much does all of this cost a business? Is it something that you can even measure in dollars, pounds, or euros?

Bad Safety Unravels Trust

An unsafe warehouse can be like a jumper with frayed cotton threads. If you pull just one loose end, then the whole thing can start to unravel. After the disastrous explosion in the warehouse in Tianjin, Greenpeace began investigating more warehouses in the same region. This mistrust is fatal for businesses and, in this case, the mistrust was entirely appropriate as the investigations led to the discovery of more warehouses violating rules on toxic materials.

Racking Inspection Courses and Pallet Racking Inspections vs. Cutting Corners

The government recommends that warehouses undergo a SEMA approved pallet racking inspection at least once a year and that every warehouse employs “technically competent” staff. Racking inspection training is a great way to ensure that your staff are “technically competent”. Investing a little money in racking inspection and racking inspection training is a much better use of your finances than spending a huge amount of money dealing with an inefficient warehouse, or worse, a workplace accident.

For this reason, it makes no sense to cut corners on safety training. Ignoring HSE advice is dangerous, expensive, and makes your warehouse harder to use. By contrast, staff who are “technically competent” are better at their job, as well as safer. Investing in your staff will earn you money in the long term, leaving them untrained will cost you big.

The Cold Hard Facts

The human and economic costs of dangerous British businesses are enormous. According to HSE’s most recent figures, 142 people were killed at work last year and 1.2 million people are currently suffering from a work related illness or injury. The monetary cost, of course, is not as important as the human cost. Though, at £14.3 billion per year, it is yet another reason why businesses should invest in safe workplace practice and safe warehouses.

Don’t let a dangerous warehouse cost your business. Call Storage Equipment Experts Ltd for a racking inspection training course from a SEMA qualified racking inspector.

A Summary of the SEMA Safety Conference: 5th November, 2015

The November 2015 SEMA Safety Conference was an event that had been highly anticipated by both the private and the public sectors. The day itself saw many talks from a range of people across the world of health and safety who helped to clarify what was happening in the present as well as give some insight into the future.

Who Was There and What Did They Say?

The event comprised of nine talks, and three of those were about racking. Specifically, racking inspections, racking protection, racking inspection training, cantilever racking, pallet racking, and the future of racking inspections were all subjects that were addressed on the day. Aside from racking, there was much else to talk about.

After some preliminary introductions from president Matt Grierson, Nina Day delivered the first talk of the conference and discussed ways to prevent supply chain accidents on the road. Following this, Craig O’Dea discussed how to best manage a modern warehouse and gave hints as to what technologies might be used in future warehouses. Rob Shaw then discussed slips, trips, and falls, detailing the difference between them.

Shaw, who literally wrote the book on slips, trips, and falls, criticised the “what can you do?” attitude of some businesses with regards to this issue. He argued that there was actually an awful lot that businesses can do to prevent these types of accidents.

Richard Heath spoke about the importance of recording accidents and near misses and how these reports are helping the health and safety industry towards its goal of a zero harm workplace. Stewart Howard added to this with his presentation on accident investigation. The final talk of the event was from Neil Sheehan, a nominee for Asda’s Act With Integrity Award. He spoke on behalf of Asda, and private business in general, as he outlined the responsibilities that retailers have with regards to “end user” warehouse safety.

The Importance of Racking Inspection Training and The Future of Pallet Racking Inspections

The second of the three talks on racking was from Steve Cowen of SEMA’s technical committee. In his talk, he championed the importance of SEMA approved racking inspectors (SARIs) and how they are there to spot the things that others may miss. Without racking inspection training, it is quite easy to miss rust on pallet racking if it’s been painted over.

Towards the end of his talk, he mentioned how SEMA are considering working with drones in order to perform racking inspections in the future. The benefits of using a drone are that SARIs can perform racking inspections in areas that they might otherwise consider too dangerous to approach. However, he conceded there are several legal and logistical hurdles to get over before this future dream of racking inspections becomes a reality.

Contact the SEMA approved racking inspectors who never miss a thing! Get in touch with Storage Equipment Experts Ltd for racking inspection training or for a racking inspection from a SEMA approved racking inspector.

The Future of Pallet Racking and Warehouses

Legal writer and academic Peter Drucker once said, “Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window”. The quote has two morals: the first is that predicting the future is hard, perhaps dangerous, and the second is that to predict the future we need to look at the past or “look out the back window”.

With regards to the modern warehouse and the future of pallet racking, those who wanted to predict the future would have to take note of its role in the Industrial Revolution. If another revolution is on its way, as some generational theorists predict, will the modern warehouse and pallet racking play a part? And what part will it play?

Safe and Sustainable: Pallet Racking Inspections, Racking Inspection Courses, and the Environment

The environment is the key issue of our times, and so the future of warehousing and logistics will need to recognise this. The recent warehouse explosions in Tianjin, China are a sign of what the warehouses of the future will look like if warehouse safety and the environment are ignored in the name of profit. Unsafe production and environmental disaster usually go hand in hand, as the lethal air pollution caused by palm oil production in Indonesia has made clear.

Future warehouses should be ones that invest in sustainable practices. More racking inspection courses and pallet racking inspections will ensure that businesses are safer and are looking to the future. Alongside this, businesses will need to be more environmentally friendly. After all, just as the problems related to workplace safety and the environment go hand in hand, so too do the solutions. As researcher Doug Morrow points out, sustainable business is a multifaceted concept.

Safe and cybersafe: pallet racking inspections, racking inspection courses, and digital technologies

The use of robots and digital technologies to increase the efficiency of warehouses is already happening. Amazon uses countless programs, codes, and machines to do a large amount of the work in its warehouse. This effect will only become more pronounced, and more widespread, in the future. Online shopping has lead to increased demand and increased supply. However, the speed of all of this has come at a cost. Online retail companies like Amazon rely on a system that is literally known as “chaotic storage” and workers have complained about mistreatment and lack of safety.

The future of warehouse use depends on combining the best elements of new technologies with a safe and sustainable business model. Whatever the future warehouse looks like, we at SEMA racking inspections will be there to ensure that it operates as safely and efficiently as possible. Just as pallet racking inspections have been a vital part of our warehouses in the past, pallet racking inspections are a vital part of our warehouses’ future.

Is your warehouse ready for the future? Contact Storage Equipment Experts Ltd today for racking inspection training or a pallet racking inspection from a SEMA approved racking inspector.

Pallet Racking

The History of Pallet Racking and Warehouses

From the industrial revolution to the rise of Amazon, warehouses have always been behind the scenes of a much greater historical narrative of business. But where did it all begin? How did we come to live in a world where warehouses and pallet racking are so essential to companies and economies?

The year 15,000 BW (Before Warehouses)

Warehouses, in different forms, have arguably been around as long as humans have had agriculture. Settling down in one spot meant that humans could harvest food rather than hunt for it. All this harvested food needs to be stored and so, in that sense, humans have been using warehouses for 15,000 years. Still, the warehouse as we know it today is a much more recent invention.

The Modern Warehouse, Pallet Racking Systems, and the Industrial Revolution

A planned and efficient warehouse with organised pallet racking systems that categorically stores items en masses has its roots in the industrial revolution. The modern warehouse meant that humans could produce huge surpluses that allowed for jobs beyond farming and making things from raw materials. This surplus has been hugely important in human history. As John Green puts it, if you live somewhere other than a farm, enjoy free education, eat blueberries during the winter, or live anything even resembling a modern lifestyle, then you have the Industrial Revolution to thank. And without warehouses or pallet racking systems, the Industrial Revolution could not have happened.

Warehouses Today and the Importance of SEMA Approved Pallet Racking Inspections

Since the Industrial Revolution, warehouses have gone through many changes. The first is that they became more functional, rather than being the aesthetically pleasing buildings that they once were. This increase in functionality is a sign of how warehouses have multiplied. Now, warehouses have a variety of uses. Some of the oldest once have become part of history, their architecture making them perfect for art installations or museums. More technologically advanced warehouses have helped fuel the rise of online shopping. Amazon, for example, prides itself on a well maintained warehouse and an excellent pallet racking system.

The current challenge for warehouses is not rapid growth, but steady growth. In less economically developed regions, we have seen the disastrous costs of valuing efficiency of business over safety when it comes to warehouse use. This is why SEMA approved pallet racking inspections and racking inspection courses are so important. The warehouse of today, and the warehouse of the future, should aim to be smart and safe in order to be profitable.

Make sure your business has the warehouse of the future! Contact Storage Equipment Experts Ltd today for a pallet racking inspection from a SEMA approved racking inspector.

Pallet Racking

How to do a Pallet Racking Inspection?

Pallet racking inspection cannot be performed by just anybody. HSE state that only people who are “technically competent” can perform pallet racking inspections, but there has been confusion in the past about what this means. Before the new CDM regulations came into place, the loose definition of “competence” led to the rise of over 300 different card schemes.

Pallet Racking Inspections and Racking Inspection Training

HSE have identified SEMA Approved Racking Inspectors (SARIs) as “expert inspectors” and recommend a pallet racking inspection from an “expert inspector” at least once every twelve months. HSE also recommends that the regular inspections are performed by a business’ staff. The best way to ensure that your staff are “technically competent” enough to do this is through racking inspection training and racking inspection courses.

Pallet Racking Inspection Checklist

If you are qualified to inspect pallet racking, you then need to consult a racking inspection checklist. The checklist details what parts of the pallet racking system you should be looking at, what counts as safe, and what counts as unsafe. There are many things to consider, but the most common sign of damaged racking is if it is bowed in the middle from too much weight. The level of bending should be measured, taken note of, and marked as safe or unsafe according to the regulations laid out on your racking inspection checklist.

It is important to be accurate as the difference between an acceptable and an unacceptable amount of bending can sometimes be less than a millimetre. However, if something is on the very edges of safe, then that “near miss” should not be ignored either. A pallet racking inspection requires constant diligence and high standards.

Pallet Racking Inspection LogBook

As you go through your checklist, you should mark each piece of racking as either red, amber, or green. HSE recommend using this system to avoid ambiguity: green means safe, amber means repairs are needed as soon as possible, and red means repairs are needed instantly. Ambiguity can cause a company to “suffer from inaction” and, when it comes to racking safety, inaction is toxic.

Contact Storage Equipment Experts Ltd today for racking inspection courses and racking inspections from a a SEMA approved “expert racking inspector”.

Pallet Racking

The Best Racking Inspection Training Course in the UK

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.

Racking Inspection Training

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

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.

Warehouse Safety

How do HSE’s New CDM Regulations Affect You?

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.

SEMA Approved

The Link Between Racking Safety and Sustainability