Archive for the ‘rack inspections’ Category

The Importance of Pallet Racking Inspections

Even if you have just had new pallet racking installed in your warehouse, or you have had the same pallet racking for years, it is equally vital to have the equipment inspected. Here we discuss the importance of pallet racking inspections that all warehouse managers and businesses need to be aware of.

Just like any other equipment, even if the pallet racking is of the highest standard, you need to be realistic and know that over time you should expect general wear and tear. Even though pallet racking is extremely durable and robust, damage can still occur. Nuts and bolts can become loose which, if not detected early can lead to the foundations of the structure being unsteady. This could cause potentially dangerous problems in the future. Damage can also happen if the pallet racking has undertaken any physical hits from machinery such as forklifts accidentally hidden the racking.

Why do you need a pallet racking inspection?  

As part of the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974, it is stated that “all adjustable pallet racking falls under the category of work equipment, which must be maintained and inspected on a regular basis”

The Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) of 1998 also states that all pallet racking shelving must meet the standards it sets out. This is in addition to the HSE guideline on Warehousing and Storage, HSG 76, states that “all racking systems should be of good mechanical construction, of sound material, adequate strength and installed and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.”

The inspections will observe the condition of the pallets, the positioning and types of loads stored on the pallet, the condition and type of floor the racking is fixed on plus much more. These are just some of the areas that are covered in the inspection. Once the inspection is done, a report will be issued with any recommendations or necessary actions.

By carrying out regular inspections, any issues can be dealt with head-on in a timely manner, reducing the risk of any accidents or further damage that could be costly to a business. By keeping the racking to the highest standards will also reduce the maintenance costs. It also helps towards creating a safer workplace and highlights to all warehouse employers that the business promotes health and safety in the workplace. This can considerably increase employees’ efficiency, happiness at work, and productivity if they know the equipment they are using is safe.

How often should the inspections take place? 

As a bare minimum, an expert inspection should take place annually. However, this is not the only inspection a warehouse needs to carry out. As stated in the EU Directive EN 15635, in addition to the annual expert inspection, internal inspections should also be undertaken on a weekly basis. Doing these regular inspections ensures that the racking remains fit for purpose and safe to use.

How do the inspections work? 

Warehouse inspections use a traffic light system in order to highlight any issues. These are called “damage categories”. Here is a description of the classifications:

Green Risk- The pallet racking system items that are damaged are within the limitations of BS EN 15635.

Amber Risk- The items are damaged beyond the limitations of BS EN15635. The rack should be offloaded as soon as possible within 4 weeks. The pallet racking system should not be used until the repair work has been completed.

Red Risk- Serious damage has occurred that are well beyond the limitations of BS EN 15635. If Red Risk occurs, the racking must be offloaded immediately and isolated from future use until the repair work has been carried out.

Who should do the inspections? 

A Person Responsible for Racking Safety (PRRS) should be nominated at every warehouse. Their responsibilities include carrying out the weekly internal inspections.

Although a technically competent person internally can review the pallet racking, it can often be beneficial to use an external company to undertake these inspections. They look at the warehouse environment and condition of the pallet racking with completely fresh eyes. They will provide you with impartial advice, will have a team of experienced inspectors that are used to inspecting a range of different warehouses and will give the warehouse’s PRRS a comprehensive report that highlights any damaged or missing components and/or structural imperfections. This level of detailed inspection and feedback can be invaluable to the management of a busy warehouse.

Unfortunately, there are many accidents that take place in warehouses, some of which are caused by the equipment they are using. Prevention is key. Even if you don’t believe there is anything wrong with pallet racking, having regular inspection reduces the risk of injury and can help the racking last longer as it is well maintained.

By understanding these potential risks and having pallet racking inspections on a regular basis can help minimise the damage caused, fix any problems quickly and therefore minimise the risk of any serious damage or industry to equipment or staff considerably, making it a safer workplace.

Here at Logical Storage, we can offer high-quality mezzanine flooring for your business and are ready to discuss your warehouse storage requirements. For more information visit our website or call us on 0845 689 1300.

How to keep your workplace safe using racking

A lack of understanding of Health & Safety laws coupled with practical dangers such as heavy loads and overloading can produce plenty of risks to your business. Often however, the key to staying safe is as simple as choosing the right form of racking system and taking due care when choosing a supplier.

The dangers to businesses in the workplace
There are many dangers within a workplace. These can vary in businesses depending on what the environment is like. During 2017/18 a total of 144 workers were killed in fatal accidents and more than 650,000 non-fatal injuries were reported. This poses a huge risk to businesses as it can have bad consequences such as workers taking time off to recover or even in the worst case a worker being killed resulting in fines and even legal action.

How can racking help?
Racking is a great way to stop and prevent these dangers from occurring. This is because it is a highly-effective storage solution which enables for easy organisation and allows for heavy objects to be stored away safely. Saying this, racking will only be an effective solution if it is maintained properly, hence why it is incredibly important to have annual inspections.

Initial installation
Before even thinking about Health & Safety or maintenance for your racking, you need to ensure that you are selecting the right supplier and installer to get the job done. If your racking is faulty then it could have a negative impact on not only your productivity, but it can have a large impact on your Health & Safety standards.

Requirements on the racking
All manufacturers of warehouse racking are obliged to provide the safe loading data on the racking system, stating its maximum load and the maximum number of items that can be loaded at once.

This is to ensure that the users of the racking systems know how to load it properly so that it coincides with health and safety regulations. Failure meet these standards can have detrimental effects as it could cause racking and pallets to fall on the driver of a forklift or anyone stood underneath it.

Rules around the racking
In addition to the points mentioned above, your own housekeeping is essential to keeping your racking safe and in turn aiding the overall Health & Safety standards of your business. Keep workways clear for both forklifts and workers and have systems in place to collect and disperse rubbish as a minimum. Adopt a “see it – sort it” approach for maximum impact.

Inspections and maintenance
Inspections of your warehouse racking are a must as the HSE recommend having annual inspections by a SEMA approved racking inspector so that you are can highlight any problems and so you can stay up to date with any new legalisation.

This is where we can help. Here at Logical Storage we can offer high-quality racking inspections for your business and discuss your racking requirements. Click here for more details http://www.logicalstorage.co.uk/services/rack-inspection/ or call us on 0845 689 1300.

What causes racking damage?

Damage to the racking in your warehouse can have a devastating impact. Not only can it slow down your operations and cause damage to your stock, but it can also put your employees at serious risk of injury which in turn can spiral into financial loss and potentially damage to your reputation as a business. But how does racking damage occur in the first place? Here are a few common examples.

Vehicular damage
Warehouses are busy environments and while vehicles like forklifts are excellent tools in speeding up your operations and reaching areas that would be more challenging on foot, used incorrectly or without proper training they can pose serious hazards. Accidental collisions with racking systems are a common cause of breakages and while more serious incidents may be too hard to ignore, small bumps and knocks could go unnoticed but still do damage that compromises your systems.

Poor warehouse layout
While poor training of drivers can lead to collisions with racking, sometimes it is not the driver who is at fault. Instead cramped and poorly maintained areas that don’t utilize tools like coloured safety tape and notices or have poor housekeeping can result in drivers having to make tight maneuvers that can often end in collisions.

Overloading
The most common cause of racking failure is that of overloading. By calculating factors like frame size, beam size and depth we can work out exactly what the limit should be for weight on your racking. However, if advice is ignored and your racking becomes overloaded then structural damage is bound to occur at some point. It is important to make it clear to workers through both training and notices exactly what weight limits are.

Seek advice
The key to avoiding racking damage is to quickly identify faulty or damaged racking. By organising periodic reviews of your racking with a professional company you can quickly identify small signs of wear and tear before they develop into something much worse.

Logical Storage is highly skilled in spotting the often hard-to-find signs of racking degradation. We carry out regular reviews for a number of businesses helping them to keep their systems in good working order and to maintain their legal obligations under the Health & Safety Act.  To find out more please call us on 0845 689 1300.

Why you need to take racking damage seriously

Whether you are a large business operating in an industrial sized building, or a small operation with just a few employees, racking inspection and repair is absolutely essential to your business.

Damage to racking through poor placement of stock, damage by forklifts or other equipment can risk the integrity of your racking and put both your product and your employees at risk.

Time and time again, unsafe racking has resulted in catastrophic failures where racking has collapsed, hitting other structures and resulting in widespread damage to both systems and stock. This then results in equipment, storage systems and stock having to be replaced which means hours of wasted time and heavy costs incurred. Can your business afford the downtime?

Equally, there have also been plenty of cases of unsafe racking resulting in damage not just to stock but also employees who have been caught in the crossfire of a collapse. Should an employee be injured you could be liable under the Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act (2007).  An incident of this sort would not only be terrible for those involved but could also leave your business with a loss of reputation and having to divert your attention to lengthy, expensive legal issues.

The key question here is how can this be prevented? The number one way that you can prevent a racking collapse is to have regular inspections of your racking by a trained professional looking out for bent or damaged beams, loose attachments, overloading, corrosion, misalignments and more. Damage to racking can be difficult to spot unless you know what you are looking for which is why it is important to seek out experienced help.

Logical Storage is highly skilled in spotting the often hard-to-find signs of racking degradation. We carry out regular reviews for a number of businesses helping them to keep their systems in good working order and to maintain their legal obligations under the Health & Safety Act.  To find out more please call us on 0845 689 1300.

Racking and Health and Safety – what you need to know!

The Health and Safety Executive offer important guidance when it comes to keeping your employees safe. A failure to follow guidelines has historically seen business owners face large fines and legal damages when their actions, or inactions, have led to employees being injured.

Health and Safety guidelines should cover every aspect of your operations and racking is no exception. The most relevant advice for businesses utilizing racking is often the HSG76 Warehousing and storage: a guide to health and safety. This offers key information for managers and supervisors around health and safety in warehouses and storage facilities to help reduce injuries and improve occupational ill health targets set by the government.

One of the key points raised in the guidelines is the importance of having regular racking inspections carried out by trained experts. Racking needs to be properly maintained once it is installed and used properly. This means that it should never be overloaded or climbed upon (as is stressed in HSG76) and it is important to also guard it from damage by vehicles such as fork-lift trucks that use your warehouse.

Even the smallest amount of damage can have a big impact on your racking safety. Small fractures of hairline cracks can significantly impact the integrity of your racking and could lead to one or more of your employees being struck by falling objects or trapped under a collapsed structure.

With proper maintenance, racking is one of the most formidable types of storage that you can have and can make a huge impact on the productivity of your business. However, if handled badly and not regularly reviewed it can also slow down your operations and the day to day running of your business.

Logical Storage is highly skilled in spotting the often hard-to-find signs of racking degradation. We carry out regular reviews for a number of businesses, helping them to keep their systems in good working order and to maintain their legal obligations under the Health & Safety Act.  To find out more please call us on 0845 689 1300.

Start 2018 on the right foot with a full racking inspection

No matter how hard you may try, damage to racking is something which it is hard to defend against. While racking is not inherently flawed in any way (unless poorly set-up) it is, like any form of equipment, susceptible to human error and wear and tear over time.

Racking damage can occur in many ways; sometimes it happens during assembly. If a poorly trained or unqualified company installs or reassembles your racking, then they could make costly mistakes. They may overlook important factors such as how your racking will be used and what exactly will be stored. This may in turn then cause your racking to become overloaded and weaken over time, threatening your stock and the safety of your employees. Another way that racking can be damaged is through human error, such as when racking is impacted by vehicles like forklift trucks moving around the warehouse – even with the best training and the most proficient drivers, accidents like this can still happen and even a small chip or crack could cause equipment to fail.

In order for you to protect yourself, you need to work with highly competent suppliers and installers to deliver your racking. You also need to ensure that your employees know how best to access the racking and that they are careful to avoid collisions when in transit around your warehouse.

That said, no matter how hard you do prepare, mistakes can still be made, and they may even occur without your knowledge. For instance, if you overload your racking beyond its capacity then over time it may create pressure cracks or hairline cracks. These cracks aren’t immediately obvious to you or your staff, but they could be reducing your load bearing capacity by around 40% which may hamper your productivity. This is one of the key reasons why it is vitally important to have regular reviews of your racking.

Continuing to use broken racking can reduce your productivity, yes, but there are even graver dangers too. Should an employee be injured by racking collapsing on them or should they be otherwise injured in any shape or form then you could be liable, as their employer, under the Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act (2007).

Logical Storage has a team of experienced specialists who can inspect racking, make recommendations on how to prevent damage as well as performing remedial works such as racking repair to damaged equipment.

So don’t delay, book yourself in for a racking inspection at the beginning of the year and sleep soundly knowing that your warehouse is operating at maximum efficiency and in the safest way possible. Contact us on 0845 689 1300 to find out more or to speak to one of our team.

Do I really need racking inspections?

Many warehouses and factories in the UK rely heavily on racking for their daily duties. Using them to store large quantities of items in a safe and secure manner, they provide the backbone to many of their operations. However, despite this, when it comes to inspecting and repairing vital equipment, racking often gets overlooked in favour of other tools or equipment and is rarely looked after until it’s too late.

Sadly, all too often racking is forgotten when it comes to reviewing how safe and stable equipment is. However, failing to address issues can have a devastating effect on a business. A piece of damaged equipment can reduce load bearing capacity by as much as 40%. It can also lead to the collapse of racking which can endanger both stock and staff.

Despite what you may be thinking, quality racking is not inherently flawed nor is it very easily damaged. More often the problems instead tend to come from human error. Adjusting or re-assembling racking without proper training or guidance can cause racking to become ineffective or unstable. Overloading racking beyond its capacity can do the same and accidents with fork lift trucks impacting racking can be quite common and are part and parcel of a busy warehouse environment.

The key to ensuring a long lifespan for your racking is to undergo regular inspections. This allows the opportunity to carry out both urgent repairs and preventative maintenance which will ensure your racking and stock remains protected and your business can continue to function well. To be absolutely confident in your racking you should have a professional company look at your racking at least once a year.

To learn more about Logical Storage’s rack inspections, please click here, or contact us on 0845 689 1300 to discuss your needs.

How likely is racking damage?

Racking damage is unfortunately part and parcel of running a warehouse and no matter how carefully you guard against it there is always the chance that something can happen under your nose which greatly reduces the load bearing capacity of your racking and as a result puts your employees in danger.

One of the biggest causes of racking damage is when a forklift truck driver accidentally knocks into racking. While you can guard against this with good training and safety lines, you can never completely remove the danger of human error leading to an accident. It’s important that you follow good practices and if a pallet is identified as being damaged you should quickly remove it from use and have it repaired before being put back into action. Continued use of damaged pallets can cause problems with your beams.

Damage to your racking, no matter how small, can have a huge impact on your systems and reduce the amount of weight that it can hold. This in turn can lead to a disastrous collapse which at the very least puts your stock at risk and at the very worst endangers your employees.  If an accident were to happen in your workplace, would you be confident that you had done everything you could to prevent it? Under the Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act (2007) you can be found guilty of corporate manslaughter as a result of management failures and breaching your duty of care.

However, just because damage to racking is very likely doesn’t mean that there is nothing that can be done about it. By organising periodic reviews of your racking with a professional company you can quickly identify small signs of wear and tear before they develop into something much worse.

Logical Storage is highly skilled in spotting the often hard-to-find signs of racking degradation. We carry out regular reviews for a number of businesses helping them to keep their systems in good working order and to maintain their legal obligations under the Health & Safety Act.  To find out more please call us on 0845 689 1300.

What are the most common causes of racking damage?

One of the biggest mistakes that any type of employer can make is to underestimate their legal responsibilities, namely their duty of care as described under the Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act (2007)  and the Provisions of Use of Work Equipment Regulations (1998). Failing to protect your staff and to mitigate any potential risks can prove damaging not only financially but also to a business’s reputation if one of their employees is harmed in an accident.

While racking is a fantastic form of storage and can help businesses to optimise their operations, they are not immune from damage and must be regularly inspected for cracks and structural failure. This is why we regularly undertake racking inspections for businesses who are looking to stay on the right side of their Health & Safety obligations.

One of the most common reasons for racking to become damaged is through a lack of planning. If items are too heavy or stored in a way which does not properly distribute their weight then they can overload the structure which will then begin to break down over time. So it is important to make sure you don’t exceed capacity and overload your racking.

Another reason for damage is when forklift drivers accidentally reverse or accelerate into a racking system and cause damage to its structure at speed. Collisions can be quite common in a warehouse so where possible you should look to implement protection such as column guards and make sure that aisles are wide enough and are clear of any obstructions.

Particularly bad damage to racking can cause a structure to collapse altogether. This can be brought about from broken beams, racking that isn’t properly secured to the floor and generally poor racking systems that are badly designed.

The best way to avoid your racking becoming damaged is to regularly undertake racking inspections which minimise the risk of an accident which can damage stock, injure employees and incur financial loss.

We can provide your business with a detailed and comprehensive report of your racking which highlights any damage, missing components or structural imperfections putting you at risk. We will also prepare a detailed AutoCAD drawing which highlights locations requiring attention. If you would like to find out more please call us on 0845 689 1300.

Are you making these mistakes with your warehouse?

There is no one correct method to effectively running a warehouse and the particular way that you operate will always depend on the nature and needs of your business. However, there are some universal practices which should be adhered to and there are mistakes that can have, or may already be having, an overwhelmingly negative impact on your operations that you may not be aware of.

Poor organisation
An efficient and well organised warehouse space is absolutely essential to the profits of your business.  Reducing the amount of time and effort it takes to carry out a task by utilising mezzanine flooring, shelving and racking solutions can have an impressive impact on your picking rate and reduce any unnecessary wastage.

Poor Health and Safety management
While Health and Safety regulations can sometimes seem like an unnecessary burden to businesses, the consequences when something goes wrong are often far worse. Under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act a business can be found culpable for harm that comes to workers due to neglect of your duty of care. This means it is incredibly important to carry out regular inspections of your equipment to make sure they are safe to use.

Neglecting staff needs
It has been proven time and time again that looking after your employees can have a positive impact on your business, reducing levels of absenteeism and making your employees more productive.  Investing a small amount of money in creating a partitioned area for a quiet lunch area, toilets or office area for your employees can go a long way towards making their work day more enjoyable.

Here at Logical Storage, we know that no two businesses are the same and you may need a combination of different solutions to help optimise your warehouse.  For a tailored proposal designed to meet the specific needs of your business, call us on 0845 689 1300.