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.

At SEMA Racking Inspections, we understand that safety in the warehouse is no accident. Rather, it is a culmination of factors, and something that requires people skills as well as logistical skills.

Racking inspections by SEMA Approved Inspectors

The first step in ensuring the safety of any warehouse is following HSE’s guidelines. HSE state that racking systems should be inspected by a “SEMA approved racking inspector” (a SARI) at least once a year. Some people experience “inspection anxiety” before these racking inspections. They fear that their safety standards will not match up to SARI’s safety standards. This feeling is not normal, and it should not be treated as such. If your warehouse is safe, and you have decent safety procedures in place, then a routine check from a SARI should not make you nervous. If you do feel nervous, use that anxiety as a driving force to better your safety procedures.

Racking Inspection Training

HSE also recommend that racking inspections are carried out in your warehouse on a regular basis by “technically competent” people within the business itself. The best way to do this is to make sure that you and your staff receive racking inspection training from a SEMA approved racking inspector.

Clear and Consistent Communication

A good warehouse is an intelligent system of signs, signals, and instructions. However, there is an important distinction to be made between intelligent and confusing. Some people feel that if they have lots of signs, lots of protocols, and lots of complex instructions, then that will keep their warehouse safe. Yet the truth is that the most intelligent communication system is actually the simplest. Of course, this does not mean that instructions and signs should leave out important details either. Rather, it means that instructions and signs should only include information that is relevant. It also means that the same protocols need to be echoed throughout the warehouse. Wording something slightly differently may feel innocent enough, but don’t risk it. Allow no space for interpretation and make sure that everybody gets the same message.

Aisles and Aisles of Floor Space

From the initial plans of your racking layout, to the

day-to-day usage of your warehouse, floor space is something that requires constant attention in your warehouse. At the planning stage, you need to make sure that the racking systems you chose can be accessed easily, for both storage and racking inspections, and that they are decently spaced. If forklifts are going to be driving through your warehouse, then your plan needs to account for that. In terms of day-to-day usage, your floorspace needs to be managed carefully, by forklifts and employees alike, to ensure that it remains unobstructed.

Make sure that your warehouse is as safe as possible with a racking inspection by a SEMA Approved inspector today!