Welcome to the 1st November Warehouse & Logistics News. Remember, remember, the fifth of November! If you work in warehousing and logistics and want to avoid fireworks over the safety of assets in storage under your charge, don’t miss the SEMA Safety Conference on Thursday the 5th of this month at the National Motorcycle Museum, Solihull.
The SEMA Conference’s focus is safe maintenance and repair, the third element in the association’s yearlong ‘Three Steps to Safety’ campaign alongside safe design and installation. Warehouse & Logistics News is once again official media partner for the event, and you can read the full details in our SEMA Safety Conference Supplement in this issue.
Even if you’re not going to the SEMA Safety Conference, there are three strong reasons for finding out more: new rules, grim figures and confusion over best practice. First, the Construction Design & Management regulations came into force in April, changing the rules for managing health and safety on construction projects, including racking and shelving installations. The client, not the supplier, is now legally head of the procurement chain and the major influence on project standards and culture.
Next, over 5,000 accidents annually involve workplace transport, about 50 of them proving fatal. The main causes of injury are people falling off vehicles or being struck or crushed. Over 10,000 employees suffered major injuries after trips or slips at work in 2008/9, most often due to walkway obstructions or uneven surfaces, and easily and cost effectively preventable. Last but not least, SEMA’s Technical Committee believes there is a ‘bewildering’ amount of choice out there over racking repairs, which can affect suppliers’ warranties.
Thankfully we have some good news for you too. As reported on our front cover industrial door and loading bay manufacturer Hörmann has seen demand surging for its maintenance and repair contracts as big sheds enjoy a fresh boom. For the first time since 2010, Savills is reporting a nationwide increase in the supply of units, and Hörmann’s service and maintenance team is reaping the benefits. With both speculative and build-to-suit warehouses popping up across Britain, the manufacturer has secured contracts with multiple tenants including major grocery and DIY retailers. Besides providing competitive maintenance contracts on its products, Hörmann is offering to service any brand of industrial door or loading bay as part of its flexible packages and give discounts of up to 10 per cent on Hörmann replacement parts and labour. As demand for its maintenance contracts grows, Hörmann is increasing its service team and planning to expand stock levels, in addition to improving lead times on products from Europe.
STOP PRESS: In the hard copy of this issue look out for your Briggs Equipment/Warehouse & Logistics News 2016 Wall Planner, including next year’s sporting highlights. Now you and your colleagues can keep up to date with the sports calendar, even when you’re meant to be at work!
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