COMPLIANCE & RISK ASSESSMENT
RACKING, STACKING & STORAGE: A PRACTICAL GUIDE
Most health and safety representatives are well aware of the need to regularly inspect hygiene facilities, electrical switches and other (equally obvious) safety hazards. However, fewer people know that you’re also obliged to periodically check your racking, shelving and storage equipment – including any bins or cabinets used to store inventory or tools.
“TO IMPLEMENT AN INSPECTION, YOU’LL NEED TO START BY APPOINTING A TECHNICALLY COMPETENT PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR SCHEDULING, PERFORMING AND RECORDING ALL REVIEWS.”
According to the Health and Safety Executive’s HSG76 (Warehousing and storage: A guide to health and safety), all UK businesses designate a technically- competent member of staff (sometimes called a PRRS or’ person responsible for racking safety’) who are responsible for carrying out weekly, visual inspections of your storage equipment.
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United Storage Systems provides an overview of the in and outs of complying with the latest racking and storage legislation.
You should also arrange an annual inspection of all racking or storage equipment by a SEMA-approved racking specialist or a ‘competent person’ and carry out regular risk assessments for all racking, shelving, pallets and bins.
It’s important to note that these recommendations are not a legal requirement. But the HSE does state that following all of the guidelines set out in HSG76 will typically mean you are doing everything necessary to comply with any relevant legislation.
In practical terms then, ensuring compliance means:
• Carrying out regular risk assessments for all storage facilities.
• Carrying out weekly visual inspections of the same.
• Organising an annual racking inspection from a SEMA-approved, third-party specialist or a competent person.
Fortunately, satisfying these obligations doesn’t have to be particularly arduous or time-consuming. SEMA- approved racking inspectors can be found using SEMA’s database, and racking or storage risk assessments are carried out using a straightforward, five-step process familiar to any health and safety representative.
https://www.sema.org.uk/sema-inspectors/
This process is as follows: • Step 1: Identify the hazards.
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