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.
While your racking systems and storage might appear to be working well and you might not see any obvious issues with their exterior, there may be a number of underlying issues that could be affecting the way they work, thus endangering both your products and your staff.
Throughout the day your racking can pick up an infinite number of knocks and scrapes. This could be through poor design or layout, overloading the racking, day-to-day damage by forklift trucks, or adjusting them without proper training.
It’s said that this type of damage to racking can reduce its load bearing capacity by as much as 40%. So it’s important that any issues are dealt with quickly in order to maintain the efficiency of your operations.
What’s more, when racking is damaged it can become unstable which means that you are risking both valuable stock and also the health and safety of your staff.
This is why it’s important to have a professional team inspect your racking on a regular basis. We recommend that racking inspections are carried out 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.
Under the Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act (2007) and the Provisions of Use of Work Equipment Regulations (1998) employers have a responsibility to make sure that any equipment such as racking is safe to use and any risks to employees are planned for.
Unfortunately, many do not realise that the probability of a racking collapse is quite high and that damage is not uncommon. They might not also realise the effect that a piece of damaged equipment may be having on the efficiency of their business, especially when damage to racking can reduce load bearing capacity by as much as 40%.
Here are some of the common causes of damage to racking:
- Adjusting or re-assembling racking without proper training
- Continued use of damaged pallets which cause damage to beams
- Poor design or layout
- Overloading
- Damage by forklift trucks
In order to address these issues you should ensure that forklift truck drivers are given thorough training, racking bears only the weight it is designed to hold, broken or damaged pallets are removed from use immediately and that all of your racking is installed and repaired by trained professionals.
Key to ensuring a long lifespan for your racking is to undergo regular reviews, preventative maintenance and repairs of your racking, thus ensuring that both your stock and your employees are protected. Remember that racking damage is not always visible to the untrained eye and so reviews and repairs should be undertaken by an experienced company.
Logical Storage Solutions have extensive experience in performing racking inspections and can help guide businesses in meeting their legal duties and Health & Safety obligations. To learn more about a Logical Storage rack inspection, click here or call us on 0845 689 1300 to discuss your needs.
Racking systems are a staple part of many businesses day-to-day activities throughout a variety of different industries. Racking systems allow businesses to make the most of the available space in their warehouses and to store large quantities of items in a highly efficient manner.
Employers have a duty of care over their employees and because of this it is their responsibility to ensure that all racking is safe to use. If an employer fails to uphold their duty of care then they may be liable to fines, prosecution and large compensation pay-outs if a member of staff is injured due to their negligence.
The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) states that “it shall be the duty of every employer to ensure as far is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his/her employees”. In practice, this means that employers must carry out risk assessments, regularly review them and take appropriate steps to improve safety and remove hazards.
These duties of care underline the importance of businesses employing regular inspections of their racking equipment. In the event of an incident, it can help their case as they can prove that they made reasonable efforts to review the safety of their racking systems.
If racking is overloaded or damaged and in-turn collapses it could have damaging consequences, not only on staff that might be injured but also for the stock that is held on the racking which could be destroyed in a fall.
A racking inspection can help to spot small problems before they turn into something worse. If racking is damaged or has deformities it might reduce the load bearing capacity, in some cases by as much as 40%, which can expose your workers to unnecessary risk.
To get an instant quotation for racking inspections, please click here, or alternatively you can call us on 0845 689 1300 to find out more.
Every working environment has its dangers, and if you are in charge of a workforce it is important that you find ways to safeguard your staff. Looking after their health will not only give you peace of mind but also protect your business.
The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) ensures that all businesses follow strict guidelines to protect their workers. This means that as an employer you are responsible for maintaining a safe working environment, failing to do so could lead to prosecution.
If you operate a warehouse or factory it might be possible that you, like many others, have chosen pallet racking as an effective way to store your stock and to minimise your picking times. However, did you know that it is especially important to have your racking inspected for any potential faults? A fault could in fact reduce load capacity by as much as 40%.
Racking often holds heavy or fragile stock, which in the event of a breakage could mean damage to your stock or even worse harm to an employee. Aside from making sure that weight is always correctly distributed and that you never overload your pallet racking – you should also be certain to have regular racking inspections conducted by professionals. We recommend inspections on at least an annual basis.
Logical Storage has a team of experienced specialists who can make recommendations on how to prevent damage as well as performing remedial works such as racking repair to damaged equipment. Contact us on 0845 689 1300 to find out more.
For many businesses, space is incredibly valuable. Many of us need more of it, yet we don’t want to take the step of moving to bigger premises in times of economic uncertainty. Therefore, the logical alternative is to utilise the space we already have in the best way possible. Logical Storage can help with this in a number of ways.
One major option would be for us to design and install a mezzanine floor in your warehouse or building, if you have the space for it. This option can double your floor space, allowing you to use the wasted space in your building for offices, storage, retail, production or other uses.
Alternatively, we can look at the type of racking you are using for storage, and assess whether there is a type of racking that is more suited to your needs that you might not know about. You may find that your racking could go higher, or the space between it could be narrower, thus allowing you more storage space. There is a wide range of different types of racking available, such as wide aisle racking, very narrow aisle racking, drive-in racking, cantilever racking and dynamic push back racking. As well as racking, we also have a wide range of shelving.
You might also be losing storage space because the racking that you do have is damaged and not in a fit state to be used. We can make sure that your racking is functioning at optimum efficiency, carry out repairs to damaged racking to ensure it is fit for purpose, and can conduct Preventative Maintenance to make sure that you can continue to use all of the storage space you have available to you.
Out of the warehouse, you may feel that you need more office space, perhaps on your new mezzanine floor. We have experienced space planners that can help you to get the very best out of your office design, with a wide range of partitions.
So, there are lots of different methods that we can employ to make sure you’re using the space you currently have to maximum efficiency. To discuss these options further, please give us a call on 0845 689 1300.
In this post we are continuing our look at the various pieces of legislation and regulations that affect health and safety in the workplace. Today, we are looking at the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. These regulations are often abbreviated to PUWER.
PUWER 1998 assesses and aims to prevent risk of injury to workers from any equipment they use. It places responsibilities on employers and businesses which own or use equipment for work, or whose employees use equipment, even if it is not owned by them. The regulations therefore cover any equipment which is used by an employee at work, but not equipment which is used by the public.
The regulations demand that all employers must ensure that their equipment is suitable for its purpose, in good working order, safe to use, maintained correctly, inspected regularly, accompanied by appropriate health and safety measures to ensure that it is not a risk to health and safety, and that it is only used by people who have received the necessary training and information. Machinery must have a maintenance log which is kept up to date.
Equipment includes machinery and tools, and covers just about anything used by an employee for working, including equipment that the employees provide themselves. Employers have a responsibility to make sure that employees’ equipment complies with PUWER. PUWER applies to any workplace where the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 – this includes shops, offices, factories, warehouses, hospitals, construction sites etc.
Warehouse racking, along with all other forms of storage equipment, is considered as work equipment, and therefore must comply with PUWER. If your equipment does not meet the standards set out in PUWER then you are potentially risking the lives of your employees, and exposing yourself and your company to prosecution.
The easiest way to ensure that you comply with PUWER is to get a Logical Rack Inspection. We give impartial advice as we do not work directly with original equipment manufacturers, we provide a comprehensive report, and we are highly experienced in the industry. Please give us a call on 0845 689 1300 to discuss one off, annual, bi-annual or quarterly rack inspections for your facilities.
As with anything in life, things can get old, not operate properly and have just generally seen better days. People get old and can’t do the things they used to, technology gets old and needs replacing and general items might not operate exactly as they should due to the passage of time. With all of these though there are some preventative measures that can be taken to improve and delay the effects of time.
Your racking is no different and general use can lead to it slipping in terms of racking safety. You need to ensure that your warehousing and storage facility is operating efficiently. This involves ensuring all the correct working practices are being enforced and that mechanical equipment, floor marking, signage, lighting and layout are all appropriate to maintain the safety of all your racking.
If something does go wrong with anything in your warehouse then it can have a detrimental effect on your business. An example is if you have one poor component on your racking, it could have a big impact on your operations if left untreated and you don’t ensure its safety it could lead to bigger problems. Preventative Maintenance is the best course of action with regards to making sure your warehouse continues to operate.
Pallet rack inspections are so vital to warehouse storage and systems as they can highlight and identify the need for rack repair or replacement. The warehouse systems and processes from pick and pack through to dispatch and distribution will not matter in their efficiency if a pallet rack falls or collapses. The stock will more than likely be damaged and will need replacing and then there is the dispatch and distribution that will need to be re-assessed and re-organised. All of which could have been avoided if the racks and rack components had been inspected and any rack damaged dealt with.
Pallet racks obviously have a lot of use and carry substantial weight, especially load bearing columns. Damage can also occur with forklift trucks knocking into the columns aswell. Rack repair can sometimes be done without having to shut down the whole of the factory aisle or unloading pallets on each level, although it does depend on what repair is needed – this would be advised through a rack inspection. Any time taken to carry out the repairs would still be better than having a collapsed rack, resulting in damaged stock and potential injury to employees nearby.
It doesn’t always have to be the rack as a whole to cause damage, it can be one of the rack components that has not been fitted correctly, or has become loose that can make the entire rack unstable. Often an inspection will highlight these components before any damage is done to the pallet rack.
Racking 
Office 
Mezzanine 
Shelving 
Rack 
Warehouse 
Rack 
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn