We have three questions this month, the first two look at alterations that can be made to racking and parts of racking and the third looks who should undertake repairs to racking.

SEMA-logoHow to secure Decking

Q. If you are using wooden decking as a platform to sit pallets onto the racking, can these be screwed into the beams to secure them?

A. Yes, this can be done with care. Normally it would be done with self-drilling self-tapping screws into the web of the beam and not into the flanges however plainly there are limitations on the numbers and diameter of fixing that are allowed and also at the position at which they can be fixed into the beam.

We would recommend that you contact you beam supplier and get the specific guidance for the make of beam that you are using. Unfortunately guidance for one beam type might not be appropriate for all of them.

Drilling & cutting of uprights

Q. Should rack parts uprights etc. be drilled, cut to size for repairs?

A. I am sure that there must be occasions when it is desirable and beneficial to cut and drill while carrying out repairs; however it is not normal procedure as we would expect to be recommended by the manufacturer of the storage racking.

For a modified upright to work correctly some very tight tolerances in cutting and drilling are required with some specialised equipment required to achieve this consistently. Generally the manufacturer would recommend the replacement of a damaged component with a replacement component to the same specification so there should be no need for cutting or drilling. Once such processes are involved then the repair is as good or as bad as the workmanship of the operative carrying it out

Can anyone replace a damaged upright

Q. We have a damaged upright that needs replacing in the middle of some high bay racking. We have a spare and our Managing Director feels that our in house/handyman should be able to replace it. From a health & safety point of view I have a few reservations:-

1. Is this legal?

2. What is considered Best practice?

3. What qualifications should an outside contractor have to undertake this type of work?

A. Yes you are correct in having reservations about the maintenance work being undertaken by an in-house maintenance / handyman who may not have the specific experience to undertake the work correctly or safely.

Racking supports heavy loads and any incorrect maintenance can result in a potentially dangerous situation. Racking should only be maintained by competent people and in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

It would be sensible for the maintenance / handyman to be able to demonstrate a level of competence in this field by training or qualification before being allowed to get involved in such matters. Be aware that high-bay racking can be very high, and a specific risk assessment and method statement would be needed before carrying out the work.

There are a variety of good training courses available including:

Racking installation training, run by SEMA under SEIRS (Storage Equipment Installers Registration Scheme).

SEIRS safety training courses are Storage Industry specific installation training courses. They have been designed by professionals in the industry and are based upon SEMA’s Installation Guidelines and associated Codes of Practice. (See SEMA website http://www.sema.org.uk).

SEMA Managing Rack Maintenance Course

Although, not considered as a qualification to undertake rack maintenance, this one day course shows delegates how to maintain racking structures inclusive of the correct maintenance procedures and an illustration of what team skill sets are required. (See SEMA website http://www.sema.org.uk).

Reputable external contractors would normally have staff trained under the SEIRS system and it could be well worth while confirming this when selecting a contractor for this type of work. Often external contractors will be much quicker than internal staff in carrying out damage replacement particularly with the more complex work such as the high bay uprights you mentioned due to their familiarity with dealing with similar problems.

Specific site courses to train in-house personnel to undertake maintenance of the racking structure are available from some companies who will run specific courses on site to train in-house personnel to undertake maintenance of your particular racking structure.

SEMA is delighted to be working with WLN on the storage Question and Answer Column which is published in WLN on a monthly basis. On the WLN website is a list of previously published columns which we hope you find useful.

SEMA Annual Safety Conference 2015 – a date for your diary

The 2015 SEMA Safety Conference has been scheduled for Thursday, 5 November; the venue will be the National Motorcycle Museum, Solihull. For full details and a booking form contact SEMA at enquiry@sema.org.uk

SEMA Technical Enquiries

We hope you find the above articles, and those in previous editions, interesting. If you have a query send it to us by fax or email and we will do our best to have it answered by one of our technical experts.

SEMA Rack Safety Awareness and Inspection Courses

SEMA runs a one-day safety course on Rack Safety Awareness and Inspection. These courses are aimed at end users, giving an in-depth look at the need for inspections, how to conduct an assessment and what actions to take when this is completed. These courses are normally held at the SEMA headquarters but arrangements can be made to hold them at the delegates’ premises.

SEMA Approved Rack Inspectors Qualification

This qualification is aimed at professionals who conduct rack surveys as an integral and significant part of their duties. It involves delegates in undertaking an in-depth SEMA Course, together with an examination and practical assessment. CPD will be an important part of the qualification, demonstrating to end users that SEMA Approved Inspectors maintain a high professional standard.

SEMA Publications

SEMA has 26 publications in stock – Codes of Practice, ‘Guides’ and European documents – all of which are available from our Offices. For further information on these documents contact SEMA or visit our website, www.sema.org.uk. and click on ‘Codes of Practice’.

SEMA USERS Club

SEMA runs a USERS Club designed to be of benefit to purchasers and users of storage equipment. Members receive newsletters, access to specialised events and discounted rates on publications and codes of practice.

www.sema.org.uk

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