Why should I conduct Rack Safety Inspection in my Storage Facility? How often should those inspections be performed, and by whom?
Committing to regularly inspecting storage rack at routine intervals is key to ensuring the safety and performance of a racking system within a facility. In this rack safety inspection services FAQ we will clarify your general queries on the importance of safety inspection for warehouse racking especially in the region of Dubai Abu Dhabi UAE Middle East and other locations in the region.
Recognizing that every storage rack application and operation is different at a minimum, one inspection by a competent third party should be performed annually. Additional daily or weekly inspections should be done by a competent person (PRRS Person Responsible for Rack Safety) in the facility itself. A best practice rule of thumb, however, is that inspection frequency should correspond to the higher the velocity of inventory throughput, traffic or activity in the racking.
Additional factors contributing to the determination of inspection frequency include:
- Product Value. The less expensive the product stored in an area, the more likely the rack is to be damaged.
- Aisle Clearances. The narrower the aisles, the more likely material handling equipment is to impact the rack.
- Transfer Aisles. Rack rows with transfer aisles are more prone to damage.
- Previous Damage. Areas that have been damaged in the past are more likely to be damaged again.
Internally performed inspections should be conducted by a qualified team member who is familiar with the storage rack’s design and installation requirements. The first step in the inspection is to ensure that the rack configuration and components match the original design document. Once that has been confirmed, damage assessments can be conducted.
Additionally, it can be advantageous to engage an independent inspection professional. Team members who routinely work around a rack structure may overlook subtle signs of damage or unapproved changes to the configuration. Hiring an outside inspection service to perform an in-depth review and detailed measurements help to ensure an unbiased evaluation.
Regardless of who performs the rack safety inspection, the schedule and results should be documented and retained on file each time for future reference.
What happens if we need rack repairs based on the inspection report?
At the end of each inspection, you will be given a full report including details of any remedial work that needs to be carried out.
You can take this report to any racking specialist or we can provide a quote from our sister company to complete the work for you.
What preventive measures we should take to reduce the damages on our racking?
Invest in Rack Protection
No matter how vigilant you and your staff are, it’s probable your racks will sustain a hit. However, the impact can be greatly reduced with an end frame protector and/or column protector for the aisle facing uprights.
Increase Rack Visibility
Driver visibility is a crucial component of keeping your pallet racks is safe from damage. In addition to proper lighting, you can also employ strategically placed mirrors to both rack and vehicle to increase visibility.
Ensure Aisle Clearance
Of course, this increased visibility is moot if aisles are riddled with clutter. For drivers to effectively navigate the aisles, clear pallet stacks and ensure the full aisle width is reserved for forklifts.
Adhere to Safe Work Load Notices
You can post clearly defined load tolerances on all your racks. But if drivers aren’t advised to balance and stack loads properly, you could still be in trouble. Provide pallet support bars for heavy loads if required. Other heavy loads are better stored on your rack’s lower level.
Conduct Driver Training
Still, all the posted load tolerances in the world won’t make up for a lack of driver training. It’s your first line of defense when preventing rack damage. Training should be specific to their section of the warehouse (to include the racking system and forklift they’ll operate) and more general.
Decrease Speed Limits
One easy way to curtail damage is to clearly and definitively reduce the driver speed limits while on the floor. Much like the open road, by encouraging drivers to be more aware of their speeds, you can reduce the number of collisions in your warehouse.
Implement External Rack Safety Inspections.
Pallet racks sustain damage from a number of causes, not just forklift damage. Be it overloaded racks, faulty equipment or user error, your racks are sure to sustain some wear and tear over the course of their life. Conduct regular rack inspections to catch potential damage before it becomes a costly or dangerous issue.
What are the formalities involved in conducting a Rack Safety Inspection?
We can send you a no-obligation quote by conducting a free survey or based on a layout drawing of your existing racking system. This will enable us to analyze the volume of racks involved in the inspection. We will further prepare a detailed quote with the details of the activities covered during the inspection.
Who are SARIs ?
SARI or SEMA Approved Rack inspectors are competent individuals qualified by SEMA (UK) to conduct third-party pallet rack safety inspections. This certification is given to qualified personnel with sufficient knowledge of racking products, complete a rack safety training at SEMA facility in the UK and subsequently pass a written and practical exam conducted thereafter. This certification will be renewed yearly and the performance of each SARI will be monitored randomly by SEMA.
Why do I need to inspect my racking annually?
In order to comply with European Standard EN 15635 Steel Static Storage Systems, you need to have records that prove you have carried out an annual inspection. Application and Maintenance of Storage Equipment provides instruction regarding the inspection of racking structures.
Section 9.4.2.3 Expert Inspections, states “A technically competent person shall carry out inspections at intervals no more than 12 months. A written report shall be submitted to the PRSES with observations and proposals for any action necessary.”
What do I need to check on a weekly basis?
A visual inspection is enough on a weekly basis. EN15635 section 9.4.2.2 Visual Inspections states that “the PRSES/PRSS (Person responsible for storage equipment safety) shall ensure that inspections are made at weekly or other regular intervals based on a risk assessment. A formal written record shall be maintained.”
What is the difference between the weekly and the annual inspections?
Weekly inspections can be carried out by a competent member of staff that knows what they are looking for and how to report any findings. An Annual inspection must be carried out by a technically competent person, with a much greater understanding of pallet racking systems.