Installed, maintained and repaired correctly means that storage systems are very safe but too many storage operators neglect the fundamentals of safe storage, which are by no means confined to such passive racking and shelving equipment but also includes other passive issues like floor conditions and poor housekeeping regimes that would enhance accident risks involving collisions between trucks and racking.
It is estimated that a major racking collapse occurs every week in the UK and many racking users are still unaware of their responsibilities under PUWER which requires regular inspections and maintenance to a level making the kit fit for purpose. Extra special care is also needed when buying second hand racking. Buyers of such racking should remember that there could be hidden or unknown damage present within the structure and if the racking has a long history one can be reasonably sure that there will have been damage at some time, especially if it has been used in VNA operations for drive-in/drive through racking which is notorious for accidental damage from truck collisions.
Another safety issue to be careful about is customer alterations to racks as this can threaten racking integrity if not done according to the racking maker’s rules. Changing beam levels, for example, should be done according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. Such changes will affect frame loading.
Rack failures can be ascribed to four main causes:
Ignorance, where the user is unaware of legal requirements to inspect and maintain.
Apathy – the user is aware of his responsibilities and existing damage, but fails to take action.
Budget constraints – the repairs will cost too much or cause disruption.
Lax safety practices which encourage accidental damage.
To counter the many risks from racking failures one should begin with a “safety aware” campaign that spurs compliance with PUWER and HSE recommendations. There should not be any penalising of staff reporting damage, and where accidents occur they should be promptly reported for equally prompt remedial action. Moreover, drivers should be disciplined if they fail to report promptly damage they caused. Identifying such drivers can be made easier if truck sensors are fitted to record who was driving when every bump occurred.
A next step should be regular weekly or monthly rack inspections by suitably trained employees to reveal any unreported damage and check on action taken on reported damage. Thirdly, a six-monthly or annual thorough inspection should be carried out by a specialist engineer, a SEMA approved rack inspector (SARI). While it is obvious that care must be taken in selecting this inspector there are many companies offering this service but SEMA approved rack inspectors are the only industry approved inspectors, of whom there are less than 100 in the UK. However, it has not been unknown for a SEMA member to install new racking which, although overseen by a full-time employee of the member, relied on sub-contracted labour to do the assembly work with the result that the racking collapsed and caused serious injury. Businesses, therefore, awarding racking contracts should ensure that all the workers involved in installation have the experience and adequate training to do a safe job.
Apart from bad installation, the other major causes of collapse are forklift damage, corrosion and lack of maintenance. Neglect of any of these could have disastrous consequences well beyond the immediate damage and injuries/death caused. In the age of e-commerce any severe product delivery delays caused by extensive warehouse disruption could lead to permanent loss of business, and that is not insurable. Can you afford to be insouciant over racking and shelving safety?
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