Safe as warehouses?
October 01st 2005

Racking has often been the overlooked feature of the warehouse but its safety and suitability is likely to come under increasing scrutiny from regulators. FTA has launched a major new service to help companies meet their obligations in this vital area.

Racking - how many of us give it a second thought? Until, that is, there is a major collapse leading to damage to the warehouse, stock or, even worse, injury or loss of life.

While there is specific legislation requiring warehouse lifting equipment such as forklift trucks to be inspected regularly - and indeed, FTA already offers such a service - inspection of ‘static’ equipment has tended to be covered by more general health and safety rules, notably the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER). Poorly maintained racking only tends to become a serious issue once an accident has occurred.

It is, nevertheless, an area of growing importance and one that managers in the industry are becoming more aware of with the increasing emphasis on costs, corporate liability and safety. "It’s surprising the number of people who don’t realise that they do need to have their racking checked regularly," explains FTA product manager, Stephen Hunter. Despite this, it has until now been almost impossible to find a fully independent audit service for racking.

Virtually all of the inspection service providers are in some way linked to companies that have a financial interest in repairing or selling racking equipment. FTA has no such interest because it just audits and gives accurate information that businesses need.

Designed along similar lines to its existing vehicle and forklift truck inspection services, FTA offers a fully independent professional audit service to give customers confidence in the safety of their equipment.

FTA engineers will check all aspects of the racking structure for condition and damage, including uprights, floor fixings, beams, beam end connector locks, frame bracing, column guards and safety notices. As well as noting damage to the racking structure, the audit will also comment on other items that may affect the safe use of the racking such as lighting levels, floor condition and general ‘warehouse keeping’.

On completion of the inspection, the engineer will produce an inspection report, and discuss and explain the contents. FTA’s audit software also allows the engineer to produce a coloured plan diagram showing where defects have been located. This, along with straightforward advice from the engineer, will leave users with a clear understanding of any improvements required.

Stephen Hunter says: "This service is like no other on the market.

We offer a fully independent service by qualified engineers so that customers can be certain that compliance advice is comprehensive, giving clear indications of any necessary actions."

HOW THE INSPECTIONS WORK The engineer will normally carry out the inspection from the ground level, noting the condition of any fixings, beams, braces and so on. He will also note general operational factors, including lighting or even badly positioned pallets. Inspections can also be carried out at height, using a scissor lift or equipment available on site. The report includes an easy to read colour coded chart printed on large (A1 or A3) paper. Defects are marked and coded as ‘Red’ (remove any load and repair immediately), ‘Amber’ (do not reload the location and repair within four weeks) and ‘Green’ (defect observed but no immediate need for repair). Inspections can be as often as the customer desires. In most cases, annual or bi-annual inspections will suffice but inspection frequency can be increased, especially in tough environments. For fully automated warehouses, inspections can be tailored to suit the application and activity level. air). A further advantage of FTA’s service is that the same engineer can inspect both forklifts and similar lifting equipment as well as the racking - avoiding the need for separate visits. A dedicated team of engineers covers the entire country, based from the Scottish borders to the southernmost part of England. FTA can also audit the quality of installations or repairs carried out by third parties. Inspections cost £525 for a full day or £275 for a half day. Some smaller, simply laid out warehouses can be inspected within a half day with larger more complex facilities such as supermarket RDCs possibly running into a number of days. Stephen Hunter says: "Our prices are very competitive for this fully independent inspection service which tells you all you need to know about the condition of your racking installation and advises you on any necessary action which you need to be taking to be safe legal and compliant." In most cases, engineers can work while the warehouse is operating and hours can be flexible to suit the customer’s needs.

THE LEGAL POSITION Racking inspections are not a specific legal requirement but they are covered by existing legislation and regulations. These include: The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. The Provision and User of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998. The Manual Handling Regulations 1992. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

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