Storage Equipment Inspections

SEMA (Storage Equipment Manufacturers Association) is the British Trade Association of the Storage Equipment Industry and represent the warehouse and storage sector in the HSE committee.

They are an organisation committed to promoting and extending the safe design, installation and inspection of Racking, Cantilever, Shelving and Mezzanine floor systems.

FEM (Federation European Manufacture) is the European Trade Association of the Storage Equipment Industry, representing the warehouse and storage sector within individual European countries.

ERF (European Racking Federation) represents both FEM and SEMA to promote and protect the interests of the European Storage Equipment Industry and influence worldwide manufacturers towards agreed safe technical standards.

• A person who has attended a Rack Safety Awareness course (normally a 1 day course) has been given basic training on how to identify and quantify damage i.e. trivial v serious and document damage for PRRS to action accordingly.
• An Expert inspector is a technically competent person who has been trained within an organisation, a specialist from the rack supplier or an independent qualified rack inspector. This person not only identifies damage but will also provide guidance and comments on other warehouse activities such as condition of equipment, racking suitability, review load notice signs data, housekeeping, general safety and provide recommendations.

Furthermore all Expert inspectors are required to have suitable ‘Professional Indemnity’ insurance cover.

SEMA Approved Racking Inspectors known as a SARI, is the industry’s leading and most recognised qualification throughout the Storage Equipment Industry. This qualification is recognised and adopted by worldwide manufacturers.

No, in fact there is a number of advantages depending upon your suppliers SEMA status.

By using SEMA Approved Members having an ‘Advanced’ status, it provides ‘End Users’ with the peace of mind that these companies have been independently assessed through a Membership Standard Assessment (MAS) and have demonstrated their committed to meeting SEMA highest standards. These companies are able to source materials from various manufacturers, provide technical data for load notice signs (unlike a SARI) and only use industry qualified inspectors and installation teams.

Be mindful a number of companies claim they offer this service, however prior to engaging a supplier to tender for this work, we would highly recommend you ask them for a copy of their SEMA certificate.

By using a either a SEMA Approved Manufacturer – ‘Full Member’ or a SEMA Approved Member having an ‘Advanced’ status, it provides ‘End Users’ with the peace of mind that these companies have been independently assessed and have demonstrated their committed to meeting SEMA highest standards. Furthermore, the majority of these business are ISO9001, SafeContractor or CHAS (Contractors Health & Safety Assessment Scheme) accredited, this provides assurances contracts are fully traceable, and suitable health and safety procedures are in place in the event of an incident.

Independent SEMA inspectors known as a ‘SARI’ tend to be small organisations, they are very unlikely to have any of the above accreditations. Furthermore, the majority of these business are unable to offer a repair service or technical data for load signs; and those that do, have not undertaken SEMA assessment and do not possess SEMA accreditation certificate, leaving ‘End Users’ vulnerable in the event of an incident.

Within the SEMA ‘Guide to the conduct of racking and shelving surveys’ it illustrates equipment damage and tolerances. Using a traffic light system, SEMA categories storage equipment damage, advising the following action to take place, these are:

Green – minor risk 

• Falls within the SEMA limits and should be recorded for further consideration at the next inspection.

Amber – medium risk 

• Damage is greater that SEMA limits.  Remedial work is to be carried out.  Loads should not be replaced once unloaded until repairs have been carried out.  If not unloaded or repaired within 4 weeks damage level is automatically upgraded to ‘red risk’.

Red – high risk

• Damage is twice the SEMA limits. Immediate off-loading and isolation until repairs have been carried out.

• Drive-In / Drive-Through Racking: Complete installation with racking being inspected when it’s empty or partially unloaded.
• Live Storage Racking (First-In / First-Out – FIFO): Completed by two specialist inspectors. First inspector is a racking specialist, the second inspector is a dynamic roller specialist, both inspections to take place when the racking or lanes are emptied.
• Push Back Racking (Last-In / First-Out – LIFO): Completed by two specialist inspectors. The first inspector a racking specialist, the second inspector a dynamic roller specialist, both inspections to take place when racking or lanes are emptied.
• Mobile Racking: Completed by two specialist inspectors. First inspector a racking specialist, the second inspector a mobile specialist, both inspections to take place when the racking is emptied.
• Shuttle Racking: Completed by three specialist inspectors. The first Inspector being a racking specialist (frames and beams only), the second inspector checking the rails and associated bracketry, and the third inspector the shuttle and controls ( the second and third inspector can be the same person). All inspections to take place when racking or lanes are emptied.
• Automated Crane System: 20% of the total installation is to be carried out on a rolling basis so that the complete installation is completed every 5 years. Should significant damage be found during phased inspection, a further 20% should be inspected immediately. Should this produce a repetition of the last area inspected, then the whole system will need inspecting at once.