Racking Surveys FAQs
At Stodec, we take pride in being a leading specialist in the design, supply and installation of shelving and racking for businesses across the UK. Our team have the knowledge and experience to carry out detailed racking surveys and repairs, which will ensure that your storage systems, products, staff, and the surrounding areas are kept safe.
As a SEMA member, making sure that our customers’ racking and shelving systems are safe, stable and fully functional is very important to us.
What are the risks of not having regular racking surveys?
While your racking systems may appear to be completely safe, impact damage, excessive loading or just general wear and tear from continual use can render it unsafe to use.
Racking surveys detect damaged or overloaded areas and identify any work that needs to be carried out to correct the problem. The risk of a failure or collapse is significantly increased if your storage equipment is not properly inspected so that small defects can be corrected before they become dangerous structural faults.
What are my legal responsibilities as an employer?
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and The Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER), every employer is responsible for making sure that their workplace is safe for their employees and for any visitors to their site. An employer is liable by law in the event of an accident and Directors have a personal liability if personal injury is involved. These responsibilities particularly apply to your warehouse and storage equipment in ensuring that it is in a safe and secure condition.
Day-to-day warehouse operations could mean accidental bumps and scrapes from vehicles or from overloading and this can result in significant damage to racking structures. Regular racking surveys by a qualified, accredited team are essential if you are going to be required to demonstrate that every step possible, to ensure safety, has been taken by you.
How often do my racking systems need to be inspected?
Damage can affect your racking at any time so you need to decide how regularly it needs inspection by you and how frequently you should arrange for an inspection by an expert.
Generally, racking installations should be checked every day by a responsible staff member. Remember that warehouse operators may be reluctant to report or identify damage that they have caused. Warehouses with low stock movement and a limited incidence of scrapes or impacts could schedule a full inspection every 12 months. Fast moving and busy warehouses may need a quarterly or 6 monthly formal inspection to ensure that damage is dealt with rapidly and effectively. Of course, if an incident results in severe damage, then an immediate inspection and correction may be necessary to avoid the overload or stress spreading to adjacent racking components.
What do racking surveys entail?
Our specialist team at Stodec are qualified to carry out thorough surveys and repairs on all storage and racking equipment in line with SEMA standards. We can carry out either annual or twice-yearly inspections of your racking, providing you with a written report stating the findings and recommended repair work. This results in certification from a specialist to show insurers or health and safety inspectors that you have carried out the required checks.
We repair and replace individual components within your storage systems carefully and safely, with minimal disruption. We can also provide full replacements and assistance when relocating your storage and racking systems to a new location.
Should I look after my racking systems myself?
To minimise risk, you must:
– make sure all employees operate their equipment safely
– carry out regular visual inspections of your racking systems
During your checks, make sure you pay close attention to:
- damage caused by warehouse vehicles or overloading the racking system
- incorrect design or installation
- previous repairs which have not been carried out correctly
For much more detailed information including extensive notes on safe shelving, racking, pallets, lifting and recognising when damage needs attention, please go to the Downloads section of our website and download Stodec Guide to Safe Storage.