You will find numerous guides on our site outlining key safety considerations for warehouse managers, including a warehouse health and safety checklist, and a guide to warehouse fire safety risks assessments.
In this post we will focus on a further aspect of warehouse management: Warehouse racking safety, with information on the relevant regulations, and the sort of inspections you should carry out to ensure compliance.
Why Warehouse Racking Safety is Important
Issues with your racking could lead to a number of incidents, including injuries from collapsing racks or falling stock. Also, falling stock will inevitably get damaged, which will affect your turnover while leading to costly disruptions to your operations.
In the event of an accident, if it transpires that your racking was not up to standard, then your insurer may reject your claim, meaning you could be liable to cover all losses yourself. Finally, as we will outline below, there are strict racking safety regulations in place in the UK. Failure to comply with these could lead to fines, and even legal action.
Warehouse Racking Safety Regulations
There is extensive UK legislation that applies to racking safety. This includes:
- HSE Guidance, such as the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER), and the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER). HSE also requires all warehouse managers to carry out routine risk assessments to identify and manage risks.
- The Storage Equipment Manufacturers’ Association (SEMA) establishes best practice guidelines for racking design, load limits, and installation standards.
- BS EN 15635 Standard defines the procedures for the adequate inspection and maintenance of warehouse racking.
Warehouse Racking Load Capacity and Signage Requirements
Signage is essential for communicating each rack’s load limit to your warehouse staff. Load signage should be clearly displayed on every racking system in your warehouse. The signage should indicate:
- The rack’s maximum shelf load.
- The rack’s maximum bay load.
- Manufacturer or installer details.
Racking Inspection Procedures
How Often to Inspect Warehouse Racking
You should inspect your racking either weekly or monthly, in order to identify any potential risks, along with any signs of damage or wear and tear.
On top of this, you should arrange for a formal inspection from a qualified third party at least once a year, or immediately following any incident or modification.
What to Include in Racking Inspections
Here are the key factors you, or an appointed member of staff, should check during your routine racking inspections:
- Are there any signs of structural damage or corrosion?
- Are the beam locks and safety clips intact and in good condition?
- Is the anchoring in place, and are the racks stable?
- Are the load signage and labels visible? Has the rack been loaded in line with the guidelines?
Keeping Inspection Records
You should keep a record of your inspections, reporting any damage as soon as you identify it, and any maintenance as soon as it is carried out.
Staying Compliant With Warehouse Racking Safety Regulations
- Invest in staff training, to ensure every member of staff understands safe loading practices, along with how to report any issues they spot. You could also appoint one member of staff to carry out the weekly racking inspections, with further training to help ensure they know which key checks to make.
- Set up regular formal inspections to take place at least once a year, and be sure to arrange for a new inspection following an incident or a redesign.
- Keep records of all of your training, maintenance, and inspection procedures. Above we mentioned how failure to meet racking standards could affect your insurance cover. Yet if you can evidence to your insurer the steps you take to secure your racking, you could ultimately make savings on the cost of cover.
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