We’ve got racking safety covered.
Racking can cause serious injury to your business and staff, if safety is neglected. Contact us today and let us carry out a FREE racking safety survey, worth over £250! During the visit, we’ll undertake a visual inspection and assess the six key areas for safe use. There’s no obligation and no hidden costs. Contact us today to find out more!
4K regularly undertakes visual pallet racking inspections to identify causes for concern (see over). We bring to your attention the reasons for concern and suggest how to overcome them. We may suggest that a full detailed survey be undertaken if we find that there are consistent issues that need urgent attention or if you require a written report. We undertake this survey absolutely free of charge*.
Call today on 08450 609 444.
*Offer expires 1st March 2021. Terms & conditions apply.
Racking safety: the law & you.
The aim of the Puwer (The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations) 1998 is to prevent or control risks to people’s health and safety arising from work equipment.
Work Equipment is any equipment provided for the use at work such as hammers, ladders, drills, power presses, circular saws, photocopiers, lifting equipment, motor vehicles and pallet racking.
In fact, PUWER covers anything used in the workplace. Regulation 5 – in the context of racking.
Initial integrity
New racks should be fit for purpose and therefore considered to have initial integrity they do not need a third-party assessment.
The purpose for its use: The ORIGINAL design is reflected in the data shown on the load board.
Regulation 7
Regularly assess specific risks and ensure that equipment is suitable for use and that operators (users) are trained for their use.
How to Prevent/Control Risks
You must ensure that your equipment is: –
· Suitable for its intended use and the conditions it is to be used in.
· Regularly inspected by a competent person to ensure that the equipment continues to be safe for use.
· Maintained in a safe state of repair to ensure that people’s health and safety is not exposed to risk.
· As a rule, rack surveys should take place twice a year, the gap between surveys should not exceed 12 months. These surveys should be undertaken by and competent person and records must be kept.
How to Identify Damage
SEMA (The Storage Equipment Manufacturers Association) have produced guidelines which are recognised be the HSE. These guidelines are designed to protect the integrity of the structure to ensure it remains fit for purposes.
What represents a risk?
1. An upright sideways defection greater that 5mm over any 1000mm.
2. An upright front to back deflection greater than 3mm over any 1000mm.
3. A beam deflection greater than 11200th mm over any span. A 2700mm span divided by 200 gives 13.5mm allowable deflection.
4. The securing mechanism of the beams must be true and free from rust.
5. Changes in cross section profile.
6. Weaknesses or rust in joining components.
