Our first question this month is asking about Back Stops and our second asks about Building Racking Outside.

Back Stops

Q. Are there any rules or regulations with fitting back stop beams and do SEMA insist these be fitted or is it customer choice.

We have sites that have the back stop beam and also back stops using profile bolted to brackets.

Any advice is appreciated.

A. Backstops come in two varieties, ‘safety backstops’ and ’buffering backstops’ both of which need careful consideration in the initial layout of the racking. The safety backstop is located 50mm behind the normal placement position of the pallet so in theory should only be hit in an accident. It is allowed therefore to be installed on the assumption that the racking frame can deal with this impact force as an overstress in the material without the need to specifically design for it which would be the case if regular impacts were involved.

The consequences of this however are that there has to be 50 mm clear gap between the backstop beam and the pallet. This means that the central flue in back to back situations needs to be wider. This rarely happens in practice and the backstop is fitted in whatever space is available and is, therefore, hit on a regular basis.

With the ‘buffering’ backstop the design anticipates regular impacts by incorporating these forces into the design of the rack structure and therefore increasing the size and strength of the upright, backstop to upright fixings, floor fixings, and frame bracing. This means the forces have to be included in the original design of the rack and it cannot be a post-installation addition.

SEMA have for many years recommended against these items as in our view they encourage bad driving techniques on the part of the truck driver who will use the backstop as a ‘stop’ for his truck rather than using his judgement and the brakes on the truck!

Building racking outside

Q. I wish to install some static pallet racking outside. We already have indoor racking which complies with the SEMA code of practice and is inspected accordingly.

Are there any extra checks we need to carry out on racking which is outside and how do we comply with regards to rusting of the uprights/beams?

A. Racking with a galvanised finish is normal for external applications and will last longer outside. Any new rack purchased for an external environment should be designed to suit this environment with a galvanised finish.

The inspection checks for external racking are similar to internal racking; however, the design and the protection coating can be significantly different.

The supplier should design the racking to ensure that it is acceptable for the additional wind loading and the racking should be installed by trained installers who are members of SEIRS (Storage Equipment Installers Registration Scheme). The design often requires the use of different floor fixings and possibly also baseplates compared to the standard fixings used on internal racking.

The normal painted finish provides very little corrosion protection for external racking which therefore rusts in quite a short period of time. Some beams are not painted internally and can rust from the inside out. A competent ‘third party’ rack inspector, preferably a SARI (SEMA Approved Rack Inspector), might be able to give an opinion as to whether the racking will last for another year or whether it needs to be replaced.

Racking with a galvanised finish is normal for external applications and will last longer outside. Any new rack purchased for an external environment should be designed to suit this environment with a galvanised finish.

SEMA Annual Safety Conference 2020 – a date for your diary

The 2020 SEMA Safety Conference has been scheduled for Thursday, 5 November; the venue will be the National Motorcycle Museum, Solihull.

SEMA Technical Enquiries

If you have a query send it to us 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.

SEMA Approved Rack Inspectors Qualification

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.

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.

SEMA

w: www.sema.org.uk

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