Do I need an inspection by a SEMA Approved Rack Inspector? Defining Warehouses and HSE Law

SEMA Approved Racking Inspection

HSE recommends that British warehouses receive an annual racking inspection from a SEMA approved racking inspector. But what counts as a warehouse in HSE’s eyes? Does your business need a an inspection by a SEMA Approved rack inspector?

At Storage Equipment Experts, we’ve written a lot about warehouse safety: from warehouse racking safety safety tips to how the EU has influenced warehouses and warehouse racking safety. However, what we’ve not done is define warehouses in the eyes of HSE.

This definition is extremely important. After all, HSE recommends that warehouses receive a racking inspection by a SEMA Approved inspector at least once a year. So what exactly is a warehouse, and does your business have one? The answer is not as simple as you might think.

What is a Warehouse?

“A warehouse is a large building where goods are stored, and where they may be catalogued, shipped, or received, depending upon the type.” That’s one definition, but when you really break it down, it’s actually quite vague and not entirely correct.

For one thing, not all warehouses are buildings in and of themselves. Argos warehouses are often attached to the main body of the building precisely because their business model depends on synchronising a consumer-friendly shop floor with an employee-friendly storage system. So if a warehouse can be attached to the building itself, how does a warehouse differ from a storeroom?

HSE’s Definition of a Warehouse

HSE does not give an absolute definition of a warehouse and, throughout their guide on warehouse safety, they refer to stockrooms and warehouses interchangeably. This is because HSE recognises that every storage system is different and a government definition of what counts as a warehouse and what doesn’t is not helpful. The important thing is safety.

HSE’s guide on warehouse safety comprehensively lists every possible risk that a warehouse or stockroom could have. It then makes safety recommendations based on those risks. For example, not all warehouses use fork-lifts, but those that do need to adhere to HSE’s guidelines on forklift safety, which includes forklift training.

So rather than defining what a warehouse is, HSE’s advice covers every possible aspect of the warehouse. They then recommend that warehouse owners follow the advice that applies to them. This is because, with the new CDM regulations, the responsibility ultimately lies with the warehouse owner. HSE’s advice is there as a guide, and it is the employer’s responsibility, not HSE’s, to follow the advice relevant to them in order to make their employees safe “as far as is reasonably practical”.

In other words, if tragedy strikes and a claimant can prove in a court of law that the accident occurred because HSE’s advice was not followed, then the claimant could argue that their safety was not assured as far as was “reasonably practical”.

So Does My Warehouse Need a Racking Inspection by SEMA Approved Inspector?

If your warehouse includes a racking system, then the answer is yes. Unlike forklifts, racking systems can be found in basically any incarnation of a warehouse. After all, if you don’t have a racking system, then your warehouse is essentially useless — that cialis generique is unless you are using your warehouse for artistic purposes.

However, the real semantic issue — with regards to a racking inspection by a SEMA approved inspector — concerns the term “racking”. In this instance, HSE is very specific:

The term “racking” is used to describe a skeletal framework, of fixed or adjustable design, to support loads generally without the use of shelves.

“Without the use of shelves” and “skeletal framework” are important parts of this definition. After all, the stockroom of a small bookshop certainly wouldn’t be considered a warehouse. And besides, no-one would argue that the shelves of said bookshop need a racking inspection by SEMA approved inspector.

However, the distribution centre for a large book supplier definitely does count as a warehouse. And its racking systems would require a yearly inspection from a SEMA approved racking inspector in order to adhere to HSE regulations.

Racking Inspections by SEMA Approved Inspectors are about Common Sense

As has been previously mention, the new CDM regulations mean that the bonus of responsibility is ultimately on the warehouse owner to ensure the safety of their staff “as far as is reasonably practical”. “Reasonably practical” is the important phrase. Do the shelves in the stockroom of your popup Christmas Card shop require a racking inspection by SEMA Approved inspector? Probably not. Unless your Christmas Card shop is — in fact — some enormous storage facility where people can buy cards in bulk, then you are likely in the clear.

Does your warehouse need a racking inspection by SEMA approved inspector? If you’re unsure, the answer is probably yes. Contact Storage Equipment Experts to make sure your warehouse receives the annual racking inspection by SEMA approved inspector it needs.

The G20 and Warehouse Racking Inspections: Warehouse Safety’s Role in Global Trade

Global Racking inspections

Many things will be discussed at 2016’s G20 summit, and this includes warehouse racking inspections.

This year’s G20 summit is special for many reasons. It will be the first G20 summit to take place in China, the first G20 summit for Prime Minister Theresa May, and the last G20 summit for President Barack Obama. With so much going on, it’s perhaps hard to imagine that the twenty most powerful people in the world will be discussing warehouse racking inspections. And yet there’s strong evidence to suggest that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

The UK’s Record on Workplace Safety and What it Means for the G20.

The UK can proudly state that it has a lower workplace fatality rate than any EU country. It can also state that it has been steadily decreasing workplace fatalities since 1997, though critics would rightly point out workplace fatality and injury rates have plateaued since the Conservatives took power in 2009. Voted in on a manifesto which openly admitted to cuts to public spending, the Conservative government have done just that with regards to HSE, which could in turn explain the plateauing of workplace fatalities and injuries.

The UK’s enviable track record on supply chain safety can be explained by HSE’s rigorous attitude towards warehouse safety and warehouse racking inspections. Without an annual warehouse racking inspection from a SEMA approved racking inspector, as per HSE’s advice, it is very likely that the British supply chain would not be as safe as it is.

All of this has a big impact on supply chain safety — an important part of trade — and will therefore be extremely relevant at the G20 when the new Prime Minister, Theresa May, begins trade talks with China and the US. With the UK leaving the EU, and with May herself outright stating that “Brexit means Brexit”, the UK will need to increase its trade relationships with its biggest importers outside the EU. Even the most ardent Brexit supporter will have to admit this will come with some challenges considering that, before the vote, seven of the ten biggest importers of British goods were all EU countries.

Outside the EU, the UK’s biggest trade partners are the US, who make up 11% of all overseas British trade, and China who make up 5.7%. Eurosceptics have reason to believe that this figure is likely to increase due to something called the “Rotterdam effect”, where UK goods that are exported to EU countries are then exported again overseas. Outside the EU, Eurosceptics would argue that the UK can cut out the middle-man, so to speak. Moreover, British trade with the EU has been steadily decreasing since 2009, as British trade with the rest of the world has been increasing. If this trend continues, the UK’s position in global trade will become stronger, not weaker, as a result of Brexit. At the G20, the world will see whether or not this is the case.

Warehouse Racking Inspections in China? A Cause for Concern.

However, by the far the biggest issue with regards to the UK trading with China is not the UK’s attitude towards warehouse racking inspections and supply safety, but China’s. Last year, two deadly warehouse explosions in Tianjin killed 173 people and raised major concerns about the country’s warehouse safety standards and workplace safety standards in general.

The tragedy would not be so bad were it a one off, but this is sadly not the case. Even China’s state-owned and heavily-censored newspaper, China Daily, admitted that workplace fatalities and accidents in 2015 were “too high”. With the death toll at 68,061 for the year 2015, “too high” might be something of an understatement.

To put it another way: in the US, less than 13 people die in accidents at work everyday. In China, this figure is 186. Even when you account for the difference in the population of the US and the population of China, the workplace fatality rate in China is still four times higher than in the US.

So should the UK seek to increase trade with a country where workplace fatalities are so high? One the one hand, the UK might want to steer clear of Chinese businesses. This is especially true considering the nuclear espionage charge hanging over the Chinese government-affiliated business with a one-third stake in building the controversial Hinkley Point nuclear power station.

On the other hand, the UK should not be put off with trading with a government that represents a sixth of the world’s population. China doesn’t have the best record with regards to workplace safety, but things are improving and the government certainly seems committed to increasing safety in its supply chain.

In fact, trading with the UK might well encourage China to change its approach to warehouse safety and warehouse racking inspections. After all, safe businesses make more money, and the Chinese government must be aware that making its businesses safer will be better for the country’s economy in the long term. Perhaps the G20 will inspire China to adopt the UK’s system of yearly warehouse racking inspections from a SEMA approved racking inspector.

Whatever the result of the G20 summit, we at Storage Equipment Experts will play our role in the UK’s continued high-standards of workplace safety. We will do so by continuing to deliver the best warehouse racking inspections in the UK!

A History of Safety Pins: From Safety Innovation to Symbol of Solidarity

Safety Pins

The humble safety pins might not be much to look at, but its history can tell us a lot about rack safety inspections, health and safety law, and society in general

For such a simple piece of technology, the safety pin has almost limitless applications. Throughout its history, it’s gone from a simple solution to a small potential danger to a fashion accessory cum political symbol. How did this all happen? And what can it tell us about pallet racking safety, rack safety inspections, and the development of health and safety in general?

Modest Beginnings for a Modest Innovation

In 1834, New York mechanic Walter Hunt was twisting a piece of wire between his fingers while racking his brains; he was trying to figure his way out of a $15 debt. In the 19th Century, this was a lot of money, but not nearly as much money as Walter would eventually run into. This is because, as Walter was twisting that fateful wire between fingers, he came up with an idea: a pin which would fold over into a clasp to keep whatever it was fixing into place both safe and secure. The safety element of this pin is what attracted him the most to the idea, which is why he eventually called it the “safety pin”.

Instead of giving the man he owed $15, he instead traded him the rights to his safety pin patent for $400. Walter was clear from debt, $400 richer, and the world had just been make a little bit safer.

Anarchy and Safety: The Safety Pin’s Role in the History of Punk Rock

There’s something ironic about an invention designed to make people safer becoming such an iconic symbol of punk rock, a movement which laughed in the face of safety — and probably spat in it too. During an era made infamous by the Sex Pistols singing an anti-establishment, republican anthem on the same day as Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee, the humble safety pin’s role was to keep people’s clothes held together after they had been torn apart by mosh pits and heavy drinking.

Though punk rock embraced the safety pin in a somewhat unexpected way, the music of The Clash and The Damned is undoubtedly a million miles away from pallet racking inspection training. However, pallet racking inspection training is intimately tie with the safety pin and the history of workplace safety…

What do Safety Pins and Rack Safety Inspections Have in Common?

Both safety pins and rack safety inspections are simple solutions to problems which, from a distance, may look small but is in fact cumulatively large. Moreover, both solutions have had a huge important on the world of work.

For example, it’s no surprise that safety pins were invent around the same time as the Market Revolution in the US and the Industrial Revolution in the UK. Neither revolutions involved wars or changes in political leaders. However, they were both truly revolutionary in the sense that they forever changed the way that British citizens, American citizens, and citizens from countries across the whole world lived their lives.

The invention of the safety pin was part of a larger movement towards the standardisation and professionalisation of the American workplace. An artisan’s “price” was replaced with the notion of a worker’s “wage”, the working day became regulated rather than a matter of when the sun set, and the clumsy pin used for making clothes for hundreds of years was replaced with a simpler, safer, and repeatable design. If all of this seems disconnected, it’s worth remembering that the inventor of the safety pin — Walter Hunt — also invented several of the most important innovations to the modern sewing machine. A design which allowed for the rise of the mass production of clothes in both the US and the UK.

The safety pin is part of the proud history of the workplace. However, as work became faster and more factory orientated, a huge number of workplace accidents started to happen. Work fatalities were at an all-time high in the UK and so it was that safety standards — such as rack safety inspections and pallet racking inspection training — were introduce into the workplace. Of course, this didn’t happen straight away. Progress can sometimes be slow. As a result, there are almost 100 years between the establishment of some the first workplace safety regulations in the UK and the foundation of HSE: a powerful government body that could create, and properly enforce, the UK’s safety laws.

Pallet Racking Inspection Training, Rack Safety Inspections, and the Safety Pin Today

If safety pins are an underappreciated part of the history of professionalism in the workplace, then rack safety inspections and pallet racking training are an underappreciated part of the history of safety in the workplace. Today safety pins take on a new role, as a symbol for people to show solidarity with victims of discrimination, but they take this role alongside their vital role in the history of the workplace.

Rack safety inspections, like the safety pin, are much more than they seem. Though we don’t envision them becoming as intimately entwined with a musical subculture as safety pins were with British punk music, we can personally guarantee that our rack safety inspections and pallet racking inspection training will continue to be on the right side of the history of workplace safety.

Be on the right side of workplace safety history with a pallet racking inspection training course or rack safety inspections from Industrial Storage Equipment Experts.

SEE Offer the Biggest Range of Racking Inspections Services in the UK!

Racking Inspections Services offered by SEE in the UK

From rack safety inspection checklists to pallet racking inspections training, Storage Equipment Experts offers the most diverse range of racking inspection services anywhere in the country.

There are many different racking inspection services in the UK, but only ours offers such a large range of services at such a high quality and reasonable price. In fact, the cheapest services we provide are completely free!

A Warehouse Racking Inspection Checklist and a Blog Full of Information on Racking Safety… For Free!

One of the best value for money racking inspection services we offer is right here. The Storage Equipment Experts blog is an invaluable resource for anyone with any quick — but important — questions about racking inspections, warehouse safety law, and racking systems themselves. We offer answers to all the possible questions a warehouse owner might have.

More than that, our warehouse racking inspection checklist is also available at the extremely competitive price of absolutely nothing! Your racking inspection checklist is the first step towards racking safety. Though it definitely shouldn’t be the only step…

Racking Inspection Services from a SEMA Approved Racking Inspector

At the heart of our racking inspection services are the racking inspections by a SEMA approved inspector we offer from our very own SEMA approved racking inspector (SARI). HSE recommends that warehouses receive an “expert” racking inspection from an independent racking inspection company at least once a year. HSE cite SEMA approved racking inspectors as an example of an organisation which certifies racking inspectors as experts.

In line with HSE’s advice, this is exactly the kind of racking inspection service we offer. No matter where your business is in the UK, we can promise to deliver a racking inspection by SEMA approved inspector for your warehouse to make sure that your company is on the right side of HSE.

Racking Inspection Training Services from a SEMA Approved Racking Inspector

A SEMA approved racking inspector can do more than just deliver racking inspection training; they can educate others on how to perform racking inspections themselves. This is another service that we offer at Storage Equipment Experts.

As per HSE’s advice, we believe that all businesses should be able to perform their own internal racking inspections on a regular basis alongside annual inspections from an independent racking inspection company. However, in order for staff and employers to be able to do this, we recommend using our free racking inspection checklist alongside our well-acclaimed racking inspection training.

Our customers state that our racking inspection services have helped to give their staff the confidence and the knowledge to inspect racking themselves. Confidence and knowledge are key. Without knowledge to inform your confident predictions, or the confidence to voice your knowledge, racking inspections are not the thorough safety routines that they should be.

Further Reading: Articles on Racking Inspections and General Business Safety

Taking our commitment to complete racking safety further than any other independent racking inspection company, Storage Equipment Experts founder — Justin O’Sullivan — has written articles for publications across the internet. These articles aim to educate business owners from around the world on warehouse safety and general workplace safety in an entertaining and informative way. We’ve been featured in British, American, South African, and Asian publications with articles on all kinds of workplace safety issues. These range from the workplace safety issues facing Japan, to the events of the SEMA safety seminar, to the important question of whether the TARDIS is a more dangerous workplace than Castle Black.

The reason small and big businesses use us is that we go above and beyond the call of duty in terms of racking inspection services. We are passionate about what we do and our passion is clearly evident in the range of services we offer. No other independent racking inspection company offers quite the same combination of range, quality, and value for many when it comes to racking inspections services.

Don’t try the rest; go for the best! Racking inspection services from Storage Equipment Experts are second to none, so contact us today for racking inspection training and a racking inspection from the most prolific SEMA approved racking inspector in the UK.

The UK, HSE, The EU, and Racking Inspections: The Pros and Cons of Brexit in an Infographic

two road signs pointing in opposite directions, one saying Brexit and the other European Union

Racking inspections in the UK and HSE’s attitude towards racking inspections are subject to change now that the UK is leaving the EU. But is this a good thing or a bad thing?

The costs of Brexit are a matter of debate, and this is just as true for racking inspections and HSE. In our infographic, we present the facts. However, what you take away from the facts are a matter of opinion and personal decision making.

For example, the UK joined the EU in 1973. Just one year later, in 1974, HSE was formed. Since 1974, workplace fatalities have fallen by 86 per cent and workplace injuries have fallen by 77 per cent. Those are the facts, but people’s interpretations of those facts may vary wildly.

On the one hand…

Some might say that the EU and HSE’s relationship have been integral in reducing workplace fatalities. Moreover, if the UK had not joined the EU, they would have had no reason to create HSE. The dramatic fall in deaths and fatalities in British workplaces is almost entirely related to our EU membership and, outside of the EU, those fatalities and injuries are likely to increase.

The EU has been instrumental in holding British governments to account with regards to workplace safety. Outside the EU, the HSE will have less influence. In fact, outside the EU, there is nothing stopping the British government from drastically reducing the influence, and therefore the effectiveness, of HSE.

On the other hand…

Correlation is not causation. There is no data to suggest that, without the EU, HSE would have been less effective. In fact, you could just as easily argue that, without the EU, HSE would have been more effective. It would have had more control over the way it makes health and safety laws and, as a result, it would have been better at creating and implementing those laws.

What’s more, there is no reason to suspect that HSE was formed because the UK joined the EU. Most people, including HSE themselves, point to the Flixborough warehouse tragedy as the real reason behind the formation of HSE. The EU had nothing to do with it. The British government has no reason to negatively change the way HSE operates when it continues to do such a great job year after year.

What Will Brexit Mean for Racking Inspections and Warehouse Safety in the UK?

We don’t know what exactly is going to happen to HSE and workplace safety as a result of Brexit, but we do have a better idea of what will happen to racking inspections and warehouse safety. Being intimately involved with the changes in the racking safety and warehousing industry over the years, we can say with confidence that SEMA will continue to big a part of HSE’s future. What is more, we at Storage Equipment Experts will continue to deliver high-quality racking inspections, racking inspection training, and warehouse racking inspection checklists to businesses across the UK.

However, what is less certain is what will happen to HSE and workplace safety in general. As we explained earlier, the situation is not black and white. So, with our infographic, we’ve attempted to present the facts as they are and look at both sides of Brexit: the pros and the cons.

Brexit Pros and Cons for racking inspections UK Infographics by Storage Equipment Experts

What Will Brexit Mean for HSE’s Stance on Racking Inspections?

HSE may change as a result of Brexit, but HSE’s stance on racking inspections is unlikely to change much — if at all. The EU was once part of HSE and SEMA’s relationship, but HSE and SEMA’s relationship has never depended on the EU.

For Britain to continue to be a major economic player on the world stage, our high racking inspection standards, and health and safety standards in general, will need to be maintained. Whatever happens as a result of Brexit, Storage Equipment Experts will continue to do our best to make sure that our racking inspection services remain as good as they have always been across the whole of the UK.

Times change, but the racking inspection services at Storage Equipment Experts will remain of the highest quality. Contact us today for a quote on your next racking inspection by a SEMA Approved inspector.

What will Brexit Mean for Warehouse Safety Laws?

Warehouse Safety Laws

With a new Prime Minister at the helm, the government is going to have to spend a lot of time deciding what EU regulations the UK are going to follow and what ones they aren’t. And all of this could have a big impact on warehouse safety laws.

The EU, SEMA, HSE, and Storage Equipment Experts have had an intimate relationship over the last few years, with each one influencing the other. As a result of this four-way dialogue, warehouse racking inspections and racking inspection experts have become an integral part of warehouse safety.

Now that the UK has decided to leave the European Union, this relationship has the potential to change. Though just because something can change, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it will. Theresa May has made it clear that her Brexit strategy will be to steady the ship, not rock the boat. Once again though, just because someone says they’ll do something, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will.

So what exactly is stopping May from rewriting the HSE rulebook in the wake of Brexit?

Warehouse Racking Inspections are Key to the UK’s Survival Outside the EU

There are several reasons that rest of the world wants to trade with the UK, even outside of the EU, and one of them is our high safety standards. The UK has a lower workplace fatality rate than any other country in the EU. Safety standards like that are not just a good thing for workers and for workers’ rights activists; it’s good for business. In fact, it’s great for business. OSHA, the US government’s health and safety board, calculates that for every dollar spent on safety businesses can save up to six dollars.

Though not everyone agrees that all EU regulation is a good thing, and that’s precisely why campaigners like Boris Johnson argued that we should leave, and why — in the end — they won. However, even the most ardent Brexiteers don’t want the British workplaces to return to a pre-1974 era when there were 86% more workplace fatalities than there are today. The kind of deregulation Brexiteers want to see is the kind that will give the UK a stronger position in the global market, not a weaker one.

For those reasons, it’s highly unlikely that Theresa May will change many, or any, of the laws regarding warehouse and racking safety. The HSE’s relationship with SEMA and Storage Equipment Experts can remain strong without the EU’s influence. Moreover, it’s very difficult to say exactly how much influence the EU has (or rather had) over HSE in the first place. The EU writes directives, and EU countries have to enforce those directives. Though countries can also make transposition notes and, after years of amending the original EU directive, it’s hard to say whether the eventual law is a British one or a European one.

It’s true that SEMA and the EU have had a mutually beneficial relationship in the past. As a member of the European Federation for Materials Handling (FEM), SEMA has worked with other EU countries and organisations to discuss the future of health and safety within Europe. Even outside of the EU, SEMA could still play a big role in this organisation. Though the FEM is heavily associated with the EU, it is not the EU itself. The UK and SEMA still maintain an enviable health and safety record; Brexit has not changed that.

Even if SEMA were to leave to the FEM, it still would not necessarily be a bad thing. Over the past few years, SEMA and HSE’s relationship has become stronger and — outside the EU — it has the potential to grow even more. With HSE continuing to cut its funding, to strip back its operations, they have been looking for other organisations to fill the gap. With the EU gone, HSE will likely be looking to SEMA to help them craft future HSE codes, something which they have talked about in the past.

Post-Brexit, Racking Inspection Experts Need to Lead the Way

Warehouse racking inspections from racking inspection experts — specifically SEMA approved racking inspectors — have long been HSE’s secret weapon for maintaining warehouse safety. With the EU no longer under the influence of EU directives, SEMA’s definition of racking safety, and the manner in which they chose to train their racking inspectors, will become more important to HSE than ever before.

HSE, and British workplace safety in general, works best when different organisations work together towards a common goal. With regards to warehouse safety, this means HSE and SEMA working together. With the EU out of the picture, SEMA’s voice will become louder, not quieter. At Storage Equipment Experts, we welcome the leading role than SEMA will play in the future of post-Brexit warehouse safety. Our SEMA approved racking inspector will continue to deliver the best racking inspection training course in the UK as well as the highest quality of warehouse racking inspections.

Contact Storage Equipment Experts today for warehouse racking inspections from the racking inspection experts who are always up to date on the latest changes to British health and safety law.

What Can Health and Safety Experts Learn from the Collapse at Birmingham Recycling Centre?

Birmingham Recycling Centre

If there is any silver lining to be had after the tragedy at Hawkes wood Metal Recycling, it will be because businesses and health and safety experts learn from the Collapse at Birmingham Recycling Centre now have a deeper appreciation of the seriousness of safety.

On Thursday 7th July 2016, five workers were killed after a wall collapsed at a metal recycling centre in Birmingham. The event was terrible and it underpins more than ever the importance of safety inspection services, such as racking inspection services, and the safety experts that deliver them.

We should hold racking inspections experts, and safety experts of all kind, to ever-higher standards. However, total safety of this kind requires cooperation between businesses racking inspection services.

Racking Inspection Services and Other Safety Services are Vital for Workplace Safety

At Storage Equipment Experts, we provide a wide range of racking inspection services and our racking inspection expert is held to the highest possible standard in the UK. That is to say, he is a SEMA-approved racking inspector. Yet, even if we do aim for perfection, if businesses do not adhere to their legal obligation to have their pallet racking systems inspected at least once a year, then there is nothing else we can do to make sure that a tragedy won’t happen. This is just as true for racking inspection services as it is true for all safety services.

Employers and Employees Across the UK Need a Constant and Sincere Commitment to Workplace Safety.

Though we know that the metal recycling plant in Hawkeswood was fined £50,000 for breaching health and safety protocol in 2010, we don’t know what exactly led to the wall collapse this July. What we do know is that when businesses adhere to HSE law, they are a lot less likely to have workplace accidents and are immune from health and safety fines. After all, if you can prove in a court of law that you went over and above the HSE standard for safety, then you are in the clear, both legally speaking and in terms of your personal conscience.

Following HSE law does not mean doing one thing once. It is a constant commitment that businesses have to genuinely believe in. Businesses are legally obliged to have their racking systems inspected at least once a year by a racking inspection expert. They are also required to have them inspected more than once in a year if the racking is noticeably damaged in some way. This too is a legal responsibility.

That’s what is meant by a constant commitment. Genuinely believing in that commitment, though, is a different matter. Genuine belief in HSE law means adopting the ideas implicit and explicit in the law wholeheartedly, not just preaching to the choir.

For example, alongside annual expert inspections from third party racking inspection companies, HSE also recommend that internal racking inspections from “suitably trained” staff are carried out on a regular basis using a traffic light system. In this particular instance, doing what HSE recommend means actually doing it; there are no corners to cut here.

There won’t be anyone checking up on you and your staff, there won’t be any independent racking inspection companies watching from a distance, it will be just you, your employees, and your warehouse. For those racking inspections to do the good that they are meant to, business owners need to stress to their employees how sincerely important they feel those inspections are. If businesses don’t see the point in those internal racking inspections, then neither will their employees, and the whole thing becomes meaningless.

We Need Racking Inspection Experts and Other Safety Experts More than Ever

Independent racking inspection services like Storage Equipment Experts are make up of passionate racking inspection experts who dedicate their entire careers to making workplaces safer. Racking inspection companies are not just there to correct mistakes and to help businesses tick legal boxes. At Storage Equipment Experts, we provide the best racking inspection training course in the UK in order to give employers and employees the confidence and the knowledge to make their warehouses safer.

In the wake of the tragedy in Birmingham Recycling Centre, many businesses across the UK will likely be looking for quick and easy ways to make their businesses safer. The harsh truth is that there are no quick and easy ways to make businesses safer. They are no cheats, no hacks, and no shortcuts. Businesses that want to be safer need to genuinely, consistently, and knowledgeably engage with HSE law by reaching out to racking inspection services, racking inspection experts, and other safety organisations.

Birmingham Recycling Centre – Businesses can never be too safe, and so contact Storage Equipment Experts today for racking inspection services from racking inspection expert.

Top 3 New Safety Training Trends

Safety Training Trends by Storage Equipment Experts UK

Our racking inspection training course is the pinnacle of safety training, but safety training is making leaps and bounds in other areas too. Welcome to the future of safety!

Everything is subject to change and safety training is no different. As business models evolve in the face of cutting-edge technologies, safety training has also developed some new and exciting ideas. Our racking inspection training course is still immensely popular, but who’s to say that — in 20 years’ time — it won’t include some of these innovative new ideas?

1. Safety Villages: The Safe Place for Children to Make Mistakes

How is your child meant to know what to do if there’s a fire? You could tell them, but some people learn better by doing. So how can you let your children act out what to do in the event of danger without actually putting them in danger? The answer to that question is precisely what drove Terri Kindberg to develop their Chautauqua Children’s Safety Education Village.

The “safety village” looks somewhat like a film set and is filled with mock dangers that the children are encouraged to navigate their way through with the help of a few trained instructors. As of July 2016, there are only a dozen or so of these villages across North America, but the nonprofit responsible aims to develop more in the future.

2. Drones, The SEMA Safety Conference, and The Future of Racking Inspection Training?

November 2015’s SEMA Safety Conference was a veritable hub of safety innovation as speakers from across the industry came together to discuss how to improve upon SEMA’s already high standards. One the ideas put forward by Steve Cowen from SEMA was the introduction of drones to perform rack safety inspections.

While he conceded that there would be many legal and logistical hurdles, he believed that the principle of the idea was more than a gimmick. There are some racking systems which some SEMA approved rack inspectors (SARIs) will, quite rightly, refuse to inspect because of how dangerous they are. If a SARI can tell, from a distance, that a racking system is unsafe then that it is because it is extremely unsafe.

Cowen suggested that a solution to this would be racking inspection via drones. These unmanned machines are fitted with cameras which allow for people to inspect a racking system in detail but, crucially, do so from a distance. If this idea is adopt by SEMA, it could spell big changes for our current racking inspection training course.

3. Automation and Robot Racking Inspection Training

Drones are one thing, but could the future mean that the job of racking safety and racking inspection training is entirely replace autonomous machines? No. At least, not the near future… Who’s to say what rack safety inspections and racking inspection training will look like in hundreds of years time?

For the foreseeable future though, SEMA approved racking inspectors across the UK have their title because they are able to spot the things that machines and those with a basic level of racking safety knowledge cannot. The automation of labour

has lead many to wonder about the security of their respective industry, but we have always been at the forefront of racking inspection training. As long we stay that way, our racking inspection training course will remain the best option for years to come.

Contact Storage Equipment Experts for rack safety inspections and training from the people at the forefront of the racking inspection industry.

Don’t Stay Silent about Warehouse and Racking Safety!

Warehouse and Racking Safety UK

Warehouse and racking safety requires carefulness, regular rack inspections, and workers who are free to speak up about potential problems.

Warehouse and racking safety is not a dogma; it is a dialogue between employees, employers, customers, safety experts, and the government. Everyone should have a say in how our warehouses can be made safer because warehouse and racking safety affects everyone.

However, while this is something which we at Storage Equipment Experts believe in, it is evidently not an idea shared by everyone. Workers at a supermarket distribution company were recently fired because they raised concerns over health and safety. Silencing whistleblowers does not help to make warehouses safer. The fear that employees are not allowed to talk about warehouse or racking safety leads to a culture of danger and worker exploitation.

The recent trial over the conditions at Sports Directs’ main distribution warehouse shows what happens when employees are not free to express their concerns over safety. Workers were pushed to the limit in extremely unsafe conditions and, as a result, the centre was forced to make 83 ambulance calls over the course of two years.

The Law Requires Safety Inspections: Warehouse Racking Inspections, Forklift Inspections, and Many Other Safety Inspections

Employers are legally obliged to ensure that their warehouse is being operated in accordance with HSE standards. These regulations are in place because they save lives and they should not be ignored. Employees should be encouraged — not punished — for raising health and safety issues, especially when those issues concern the law.

With regards to warehouse and racking safety, employers are legally required to make sure their racking is inspected by a safety expert — a SEMA approved rack inspector — at least once a year. Should an employee notice a problem, they should mention this to their employer. In fact, HSE encourages employers to conduct rack safety inspections of their own on a regular basis.

Employers should not be quiet about warehouse and racking safety. Rather it is both a legal requirement — and good business — to make sure that they are actively involved in a frank and open discussion about warehouse and racking safety. This is why we provide racking inspection training from a SEMA approved inspector.

Safe, Smart, and Confident Employees are Better for Business

Businesses with employees who are educated on safety issues are better for several reasons. For a start, safety training of any kind helps to motivate employees as they feel more invested in and a bigger part of the team.

Both warehouse racking inspection training for small businesses and warehouse racking inspection training for big businesses have the psychological benefits that come from spending money on human capital. However, the other reason safer and smarter employees are better for business is cold hard cash.

Rack Safety Inspections Now Mean Bigger Profits Later

OSHA calculate that businesses who spend more on safety save money in the long run. Specifically, for every dollar a business spends on safety, they can save up to six dollars. This makes perfect sense. Rack safety inspections are a small expense, but the potential returns on this investment are huge.

After failing to adhere to warehouse safety standards, the international beer-giant Anheuser-Busch had to pay a jaw-dropping $162,000 fine.

A racking expert’s inspection could’ve prevented this expense. Ignoring warehouse safety may cost more than fines.

Casualties and — in some tragic cases — fatalities are the very real result of failing to invest in racking safety.

Businesses and their staff have no reason to stay silent about warehouse and racking safety.

Open dialogue on safety benefits the warehousing, logistics, and supply chain sector, fostering improved operations for all.

Don’t be silent and don’t ignore racking safety! Contact Storage Equipment Experts for a quote on your next warehouse racking inspection.

A Beginner’s Guide to Rack Safety Inspections and Racking Inspection Checklists

SEMA Approved Racking Inspections

At Storage Equipment Experts, we instruct businesses on pallet racking safety. Fully-fledged racking inspection training and comprehensive racking inspection checklists are not the only things that we do. One of our most useful services is a basic introduction to racking inspections.

Our infographic should serve as a starting point for businesses who want their staff to learn more about racking inspections and how racking inspection checklists work. It’s a great graphic to print out and put around your workplace. And it’s yours for free! Of course, that’s not the only free thing we offer at Storage Equipment Experts…

Our Racking Inspection Checklist is Free and Easy-to-Use

If you want to carry out your own regular internal racking inspections (as recommended by HSE), you can download our free and easy-to-use racking inspection checklist right here. Before using it though, we would strongly recommend also undergoing racking inspection training.

Our infographic is a great introduction, but for a detailed course on how racking inspections are performed look no further than our racking inspection training course. This course will give your staff the confidence and knowledge to carry out regular internal racking inspections in accordance with HSE’s recommended “traffic light” racking safety system. For this, you can use our racking inspection checklist.

Our Infographic, Our Racking Inspection Checklist, and Our Racking Inspection Course: The Perfect Trilogy

Great things come in threes, and that’s why we recommend using our infographic alongside our checklist and racking inspection training for the perfect three-pronged approach to racking safety. However, racking safety still has one more important element: expert rack safety inspections.

Rack Safety Inspections from Racking Inspection Experts

These safety inspections are required by law — and for good reason. Though our infographic, checklist, and training will help you with the day-to-day upkeep and inspection of your racking, a certified expert is required by HSE to visit your warehouse at least once a year. HSE recommends SEMA approved inspectors for this job. After all, damage is not always obvious. There are some things which require a racking inspection expert to spot.

For the non-experts though, this infographic serves as a great place to start. Understanding the basics is simple when you break it down, and so that’s just what we’ve done with our infographic.

Rack Safety Inspections

Rack safety inspections are all about knowledge and discipline. That’s why we are keen to share that knowledge as much as possible. At Storage Equipment Experts, we are here to teach you everything you need to know to perform your own regular internal racking inspections. And we are also here when you need an expert racking inspector — a SEMA approved rack inspector — to spot something you might have missed and to give you the advice you need to keep your racking, your warehouse, and your business safe. Our job is to help to you do your job better and safer. Whatever your business, contact us for your next rack safety inspection.

Now that you know the basics, it’s time to call in the experts. Contact us for your next SEMA-approved racking inspection.