We sometimes encounter situations where clients have introduced alternative solutions in the belief that they will achieve the same results when it comes to protecting their racking. The use of nuts and bolts instead of locking pins is quite a common scenario and on the face of it, would appear to do the same job. However, this significantly underestimates the way in which a locking pin is designed to work and its role in minimising damage to an upright. For instance, if struck by a forklift, a locking pin will allow the beam to dislodge from an upright thus preventing significant damage and reducing the potential to trigger a collapse across a whole bay. A nut and bolt connection will prevent this movement and can place an entire warehouse at risk should the failure become progressive.

Whilst this is true in most cases, there are some exceptions to the rule. For example, the risk of not bolting the front beam of a live storage system is deemed by many to be greater than that of bolting, given that the force that stops pallets from running down the inclined rollers is substantial. The easiest and safest way to establish best practice for your company’s racking system is to engage a SEMA accredited inspector.

If you’re looking to arrange your annual storage inspection or would like advice on safety protocols for your business, then contact our friendly, SEMA accredited professional team to discuss your requirements on 01384 256969 or email sales@teepee.co.uk

This often corresponds directly to the efficiency of the order fulfilment process of the warehouse. Here, any weakness in the chain will ultimately translate as loss of profit. So, what can be done to ensure that an e-tail business maintains its competitive edge? Well, risk of disruption to order fulfilment can be greatly reduced by sourcing all Materials Handling Equipment (MHE) from a single supplier. This means that everything from bins, to shelves to racking and live storage is compatible, making the fulfilment operation seamless and free flowing. For example, bins that have been supplied by the same supplier as racking will not only move smoothly but will also have been designed to optimise space on the racking system.

An experienced Materials Handling provider will be adept at integrating all fulfilment components with the objective of increasing efficiency in a safe and productive manner. Here at Teepee, we not only design and fit storage solutions but also provide full warehouse fit-out services including mezzanine floors, industrial and office partitioning and safety barriers.  Our one-stop-shop package is designed to take the hassle out of expansion or refurbishment, giving our clients time to concentrate on business growth whilst we take care of the practicalities.

Looking to maximise warehouse efficiency? Contact our friendly, SEMA accredited professional team to discuss your requirements on 01384 256969 or email sales@teepee.co.uk

SEMA stands for the Storage Equipment Manufacturers Association and is primarily committed to promoting and extending the safe design, installation and use of storage equipment manufactured and supplied to its members. The Association recently celebrated its 50th birthday and works closely with leading safety bodies such as the HSE, CSCS and RoSPA.

Companies that manufacture storage equipment in the UK can apply for full membership, whereas companies such as Teepee Materials Handling, which supplies and installs SEMA-accredited storage systems, can apply for SEMA Approved Member status. In order to qualify, this means that we are independently audited on 25 key quality measures including the use of trained labour and correct storage design.

SEMA storage system promotes a three-stage process to maximise safety; design, installation and maintenance. Once your new storage system has been designed and professionally installed, regular maintenance is not only essential from a safety perspective but also a legal requirement.

Teepee is proud to include a team of approved inspectors to carry out mandatory annual inspections for clients, providing invaluable advice for maintenance and repair. Teepee can also organise racking repair work removing hassle and delay for business owners.

In a nutshell, SEMA accredited suppliers provide a guaranteed benchmark for safety, high quality and experience. Look for SEMA accreditation whenever selecting a storage system service.

If you are considering a new system or need to arrange your annual inspection, contact our friendly, SEMA accredited professional team for a quotation on 01384 256969 or email sales@teepee.co.uk

The answer isn’t straightforward as although SEMA guidelines state that a competent person must install a racking system this is not a legal requirement, and it is down to the employer to assess the competency of their employees prior to carrying out any work.

All qualified racking installers have undertaken an industry qualified training course known as SEIRS. This training course provides the individual with the skills to install racking safety in conjunction with manufacturers assembly guidelines. The owner of the premises must assess whether his staff have the skills to carry out the task without presenting significant risk of injury to themselves or other people.

Should you decide to undertake this work, we would recommend you employ a SEMA racking inspector to assess the racking before loading, as this would eliminate any construction issues which may arise from a lack of experience.

In our view, it is far safer to employ an experienced, SEMA accredited installation team to remove risk and worry from this process. This also saves money in the long run as correctly installed systems are less likely to fail and need repair.

Considering a new racking system or looking to re-site your existing system?
Contact our friendly, SEMA accredited professional team for a quotation on 01384 256969 or email sales@teepee.co.uk

There are three main criteria to consider when choosing. First and foremost, we must ensure a safe working environment so our proposals must take into account HSE regulations. Secondly, we must make sure that the solution presents good accessibility to assets and finally, the solution must minimise the risk of damage to stored goods.

When specifying a storage product, we follow SEMA’s simple principles which includes:

• Safe manufacture offering full traceability of product
• Safe design to meet strict codes of practice
• Safe installation by accredited personnel
• Ongoing rack maintenance through inspection and repair

In this way, we guarantee a product and installation process that clients can rely on to uphold the highest levels of safety standards.

Considering a new storage system? Contact our friendly, professional team for a quotation on 01384 256969 or email sales@teepee.co.uk

However, as most mezzanines are usually exposed and elevated, it’s important to maintain strict safety working practices when incorporating them into your business.

Here are our top five tips to staying safe on your mezzanine floor:

• Keep your mezzanine area tidy and well-lit to minimise the risk of trips and falls.
• Ensure suitable twin railed handrailing (1100mm high) is fitted to all exposed edges of the mezzanine being suitably designed to within stand imposed loads from personnel working on top of the mezzanine.
• Install protective kicker boards (minimum of 100mm high) to all exposed edges to prevent small loose items falling onto operatives working below.
• Ask Teepee for advice on fitting specialist mezzanine safety gates to significantly reduce the risk of injury and costly fines.
• A safety load notice is displayed and your team know and observe the safe weight-bearing capacity of your mezzanine floor so that it is never put under excess stress.

As with all aspects of your business, rigorous and regular safety inspections should be at the heart of your operation. Our advice is to make sure that your mezzanine area forms part of your weekly safety check and that concerns are identified and rectified swiftly.

Transform your usable working space. For a free mezzanine quotation, contact our friendly, professional team on 01384 256969 or email sales@teepee.co.uk

We currently have 1 vacancy available: Sales Executive. You can find the full details over on our careers page here.

For the right candidate this role will offer a fantastic opportunity to develop your career within our business.

Teepee are a family owned business established since 1987

Interested? Please apply now!

Many clients know that they want to optimise space and increase productivity but are unsure what products to specify or how to make best use of their budget. Partitioning, be it for office or industrial space, usually forms an integral part of the requirement as clearly defined working areas are central to fulfilling the brief.

Steel partitions are ideal for an industrial environment and cover a wide range of applications such as clean rooms, factory segregation, inspection rooms, offices, secure stores and manufacturing workshops. This versatile and cost-effective modular system is available in various panel configurations that can include combinations of steel, mesh and glass.

All panels are manufactured using either a single or double sheet steel skin, with standard panel heights ranging from 2440 – 3660mm high, which can also be multi-tiered to increase height where necessary. Extremely adaptable, steel partitions can provide acoustic and fire resistance properties on double skin partitioning systems which can be designed to meet individual and Building Regulation requirements.

If you’re thinking that you would like to customise your workspace, aluminium framed partitioning is a great way to introduce temporary or permanent areas, perfect for growing businesses with changing needs. This system is available in all glass, all solid or a combination of both. They are finished in a variety of different colour wallcoverings to match your corporate image. This modular system also has the advantage of dramatically reducing installation times when compared with traditional stud and plasterboard systems and can also be relocated at a later date.

If you’re contemplating reorganising your workspace but are unsure where to start, our dedicated, in-house design team are happy to have an initial discussion to outline possible options, free of charge. Call us on 01384 256969 or email sales@teepee.co.uk to arrange.

As a general rule of thumb, shelving is a storage system that cannot be approached by mechanical handling devices such as fork-lift trucks or order-pickers. This is because shelving uprights are generally thinner and more vulnerable to accidental damage by machinery. Shelving is therefore usually hand loaded and has unit loads of less than 20 or 25 kilograms.

Contrary to popular belief, shelving is not classified by height and it is quite possible to have systems that have 3 or 4 tiers. However, these systems must always be located well away from any loading machinery and can under no circumstances be climbed on by operatives to retrieve goods.

Racking is, therefore, the correct solution if your business stores heavy loads or items in pallets, which need to be moved via mechanical means.

Please remember that both shelving and racking systems require independent annual inspections by law, so it’s vital that you engage a trained professional to perform this service. At Teepee, we are proud to provide SEMA accredited inspectors and inspection prices start at just £185 + VAT.

Arrange your inspection by contacting our friendly team sales@teepee.co.uk or calling 01384 256969.

As companies grow, the need for versatile space often increases at a faster than ideal rate, meaning that a costly and inconvenient move can seem like the only option. Here at Teepee, we know that needn’t be the case.

We’ve been helping to transform businesses for over 30 years, creating flexible, additional space within existing premises. Whether you’re looking to create additional areas for offices, storage, production or staff, mezzanine floors can double your usable space and cost significantly less than relocation.

Although in most cases mezzanine installation is simple, we’ve also worked on many complex projects where the installation has required planning permission or even floor piling. Our fully project managed service will identify the best ways in which to structure a mezzanine floor taking into account end use, location and access points.

Our team will plan space to maximize usability, complete with electrical points, lighting, heating and water feeds. We work hard to understand your business’ needs and our experience is invaluable in identifying potential project pitfalls and how to avoid them.

We’re expert at keeping clients operational during fit out with minimal downtime, either working seamlessly with other contractors or offering a full turnkey solution.

Find out how we can save you time, money and free up some space. Contact our friendly team by emailing sales@teepee.co.uk or calling 01384 256969.