Our first question this month is asking about Racking Inspections and our second asks about the moving and testing of racking.
What should be included in a Rack Inspection?
A. I have read the HSE Warehouse and Storage booklet which refers to a “person responsible for racking safety”, who would carry out inspections and keep records.
What would you expect to be recorded on a racking inspection document? and are there any examples anywhere that I could look at?
A. The publications that will do most to help you are the SEMA Guide to the Conduct of Pallet Racking and Shelving Surveys together with the SEMA Code of Practice for the Use of Static Pallet Racking. However, while these have some of the information you require it is spread about a bit.
We would suggest the best way of familiarising yourself with the requirements would be to attend one of the SEMA one day courses on ‘Rack Safety Awareness’ which pulls all this together from the point of view of the Person Responsible for Rack Safety, who is responsible for regular internal racking inspections. This covers what to look for, how to classify damage according to the SEMA red, amber or green categories and how to record it along with the necessary actions. As an individual you can attend one of these courses which are held at the SEMA HQ or alternatively SEMA can bring the course to you at your premises. The latter may be preferable if you have 6 or more people who would benefit from this training. The course can then be held on a day that suits your organisation together with a practical session looking at your own stores and ensuring that the items talked about are being correctly interpreted by those attending.
Moving and Testing
Q. We are looking to move a few of our cantilever racks at the factory and wish to have it fully tested prior to use.
A. It is not normal to carry out a load test on re-located racking for two reasons. The first is that it is very expensive to do this and secondly if a failure occurs during the test then it can also be dangerous. Even if failure does not occur then the rack is being taken close to failure and some damage may result which might not be noticeable during the course of the test. Normally components of rack structures, rather than full systems, are tested in order to develop manufacturer’s load tables.
What is more normal is that the original manufacturer of the racking would be asked to confirm the load capacity and provide a new load sign based on manufacturer’s load tables. A pre-condition for this is that the rack must be re-built in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.
If the manufacturer cannot be identified there are certain consultants who can calculate carrying capacities from first principles and provide a load notice for the rack based on these calculations. The consultant approach is likely to be more expensive, however, in the absence of being able to identify an original supplier it is often the only option.
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. For full details and a booking form contact SEMA at enquiry@sema.org.uk
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.
SEMA
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