Racking inspection training comes in two different forms: training intended for warehouse staff and training intended for people who want to become expert racking inspectors.
Racking Inspection Training for Warehouse Staff
Racking inspection training for warehouse staff should be performed by a SEMA approved racking inspector. The aim of this sort of training is to make staff competent enough to perform the regular staff-led racking inspections HSE recommends. As such, it’s not as in-depth as racking inspection training courses for future SEMA approved racking inspectors.
Courses take one day and can be performed either at a training centre or at the warehouse where the staff work. The latter will allow the SEMA approved racking inspector to recommend best practices for your warehouse specifically. The benefit of the latter is that it’s cheaper. However, if the supplier of your racking inspection training courses is a good one, both courses will be of a high standard.
The CDM Regulations place a lot of emphasis on making sure that the people who you employ to do certain tasks are competent. As such, we would highly recommend racking inspection training for your regular staff-led inspections.
Racking Inspection Training for SEMA Approved Racking Inspectors
For SEMA approved racking inspectors (SARIs), racking inspection training consists of a pre-course qualifier, followed by a three-day course. SEMA approved inspectors are also expected to attend regular seminars and top-up sessions to keep their knowledge of racking inspections fresh and up to date.
This is a course intended for people with some kind of engineering or health and safety background who are looking to pursue a career in racking inspections. It is not a course intended for warehouse staff.
People who have passed this racking inspection training course are deemed “experts” by HSE. Inspections by experts such as SEMA approved racking inspectors are recommended by HSE, HSA, and the EU.
SEMA Approved Pallet Racking Inspection Training
The racking inspection training designed for potential SARIs can be further subdivided into pallet racking inspection training and cantilever racking inspection training. The pallet racking inspection training is the standard SEMA course and all SARIs have taken it. The reason for this is that almost all racking systems are variations of the adjustable pallet racking system.
SEMA Approved Cantilever Racking Inspection Training
Of course, not all racking systems are adjustable pallet racking systems. Some are cantilever racking systems. This storage equipment uses arms rather than pallets and is different enough to warrant a different racking inspection training course.
HSE does not differentiate between a SARI who has passed the SEMA approved pallet racking inspection training and one who has also passed its cantilever racking inspection training. However, SEMA does make this distinction, and it would recommend that a SARI who has passed both courses is the best person to inspect a cantilever racking system.
This is an instance where referring to SEMA in the absence of advice from HSE is likely the best policy. At Storage Equipment Experts, our SEMA approved racking inspector is one of only a handful of people in the world to have passed both the pallet racking and cantilever racking inspection courses for SARIs.