- Posted on
- Chameleon
The world has become a different place since the start of the pandemic, and now that Brexit has kicked in; where does this leave YOU with your racking inspections?
We have seen so many social media posts and heard many questioning the need for racking inspections, each with different answers. So here at Teepee, we have done our research, and would like to openly answer the question “Do I need an annual racking inspection even though not much is happening in our warehouse?”
Firstly, we looked at SEMA (Storage Equipment Manufactures Association) guidelines in the ‘Code of Practice for The Use of Static Pallet Racking’; this clearly states in paragraph 7.1 that an annual inspection be carried out by a technically competent person as well as regular internal inspections by a trained PRRS – person responsible racking safety, so the answer is a yes then!
Then turning to HSE76 Warehousing and Storage – A Guide to Health & Safety 646. A technically competent person should carry out inspections at intervals of not more than 12 months, it goes on to state that the PRRS frequency of inspections depends on a variety of factors that are particular to the site. So again, it comes up with a yes!
More rules and regulations… so now PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998) Section 6 specifies criteria where an inspection is required for example where the safety depends on installation conditions, at suitable intervals where equipment is exposed to conditions causing deterioration such as the use of a forklift truck. Ploughing through PUWER (on your behalf) we find a paragraph stating that the frequency of inspections should be determined via risk assessment, taking manufacture and trade association recommendations into account. Again, we have already covered this above so another yes to the question.
Now that Teepee have cleared this up, if throughout COVID and now post Brexit there are any pallet movements (even reduced movements) within your facility then an annual SEMA inspection still applies. Only IF (and that is a big if) your facility has been completely mothballed or there are zero pallet movements, your annual inspection may be deferred. In the event of this facility reopening, we would highly recommend you carry out an annual inspection prior.
At Teepee all our inspectors have vast experience within the industry with a knowledge to guarantee a comprehensive and unbiased inspection of your storage equipment adhering to the latest SEMA and HSE compliance and legislations.
All inspection findings are recorded clearly in an easy-to-follow independent report detailing issues using your designated locations using SEMA traffic light classifications and tolerances, including recommendations and actions to prevent any recurrences.
For prices or further information on our annual inspections, call us on 01384 25996.