If you want your warehouse operations to stay on track, one area you might need to focus on is your racking. It only takes something as simple as ignored damage, unsuitable repairs or a knock from a forklift truck to weaken your structure. You then end up with the potential for operational downtime, lost revenue, unwanted maintenance costs and, worst of all, employee injury. Avoiding these headaches is possible, but only if you maintain the highest standards throughout your racking inspection.
As the leading voice on storage equipment safety, SEMA explains how warehouse owners and managers can ensure their racking inspections meet the highest benchmark.
Visual vs. Expert Inspections
At some point, your racking will suffer from damage or wear and tear. Spot the issue early, and you can significantly reduce costly repairs while upholding the safety of your warehouse. It’s for this reason that HSG76 Warehousing and Storage: A Guide to Health and Safety recommends a three-tiered approach to your inspection process.
1. Immediate Inspection
Employees working in areas with racking are your first line of defence. Equip staff with the skills to identify racking damage and how to report it if they find an issue.
2. Visual Inspection
This inspection is undertaken by a member of your team which checks the racking surface to see if damage is present and whether correct loading practices are followed. To ensure they can correctly undertake these checks, send your employee on a training course delivered by industry experts which explains the inspection process.
3. Expert Inspections
While Visual Inspections are crucial for catching problems early, they don’t provide a complete assessment of the racking. This is where you need your Expert Inspection, which involves a detailed examination of the racking to identify any structural damage that is present. This inspection can only be undertaken by a trained professional.
Why choose a SARI Inspection?
When booking your Expert Inspection, choose your inspector carefully. As the business owner or manager, you are responsible for verifying their competency in accordance with HSG76.
One way to do this is by working with a SEMA Approved Racking Inspector (SARI). To earn their qualification, they must undertake our rigorous training course. This verifies they have the knowledge and engineering skills they need to undertake inspections that provide you with a level of detail to keep your warehouse safe.
Their report will look at the type of racking you have in your warehouse, its compatibility with other equipment, if the structure is suitably fixed to the floor and if load notice requirements are followed. They will also identify damage on the racking, where it is located and then grade its severity using a traffic-light system which guides you on the timescale for repairs.
This level of detail and enhanced safety is only possible if an inspector can prove they have in-depth knowledge of racking inspections and advanced engineering expertise.
Raising the inspection bar
We set a high benchmark for the industry with our racking inspectors. SARIs must demonstrate they work to our expected standards by passing a rigorous training and assessment programme.
Next year, we are setting the bar even higher, and anyone looking to become a SARI will have to attend our new two-part training course. Part 1 instructs on the assembly of adjustable pallet racking, forklift truck operation, structural awareness and how to undertake a risk assessment. Part 2 builds on the course by looking at factors that influence the warehouse environment, how to undertake an inspection, the methodology for recording rack damage and liaising with the client. To earn their SARI qualification, the delegate must pass both written exams and a practical assessment.
To check inspectors maintain these standards, they must also undertake Continuing Professional Development and attend a refresher course every five years.
Protect your business – avoid imposters
We know the SARI qualification is highly valued, which is why there has been a growing problem within the industry of inspectors falsely claiming they are SARI qualified. Hiring an inspector who is not qualified to deliver a SARI report could leave you with undiscovered racking damage that puts your operations at risk.
To help warehouse owners and managers check that they are working with a valid SARI, we have now launched a SARI Verification tool. All you need to do is go to sari.sema.org.uk, enter the inspector’s first and last name, their SARI ID card number and then click verify. You’ll instantly see whether they hold a valid SARI qualification.
Implementing your racking inspection programme should not be a box-ticking exercise. To keep your warehouse safe and operations running smoothly, warehouse owners and managers must ensure their inspections follow the highest quality standards. Don’t put your warehouse at risk by not following the highest standards. For further guidance on maintaining racking safety standards, visit www.sema.org.uk.
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