Avoiding rack disasters

Storage systems are very safe providing they are: installed correctly; inspected regularly; and maintained correctly. Sadly this is often not the case and when not maintained correctly, they can quickly become unstable and potential killers.

Many racking users are still unaware of their responsibilities under PUWER – all racking systems (No matter how large or small) must be inspected regularly and maintained in a condition fit for use.

Failures occur due to three main causes:

• Ignorance – The user is unaware of the legal requirements to inspect & maintain.

• Apathy – The user is aware of his responsibilities (and maybe existing damage) but fails to take action.

• Budget – The repairs will cost too much or cause disruption.

What do you think the Judge would say in response to this when you are in the dock facing a corporate manslaughter charge? Don’t think'”It will never happen here’ – it has been estimated that a MAJOR collapse occurs EVERY WEEK in the UK.

Most of these never come under the glare of publicity and are kept very quiet in the fear of adverse publicity, prosecution or litigation except in the sad cases where injuries or fatalities result.

Fortunately these are the minority of cases – but even the few cases are too many.

The first step towards a successful safety regime is being “safety aware” – the knowledge that the storage equipment has the potential to cause major injury or death. Then ensure compliance with PUWER and HSE recommendations.

Reporting of damage is a major step in racking safety and a regime that does not penalise damage reporting is suggested. Most damage is accidental and the driver who promptly reports damage is allowing that damage to be assessed quickly and remedial action taken – therefore reducing the risk to his colleagues and himself. It is the driver that does not report damage that should be disciplined, as he is potentially putting everyone at risk.

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The next step is regular (weekly or monthly) internal rack inspections by a suitably trained employee to identify any unreported damage and check on action taken on reported damage. Thirdly a six-monthly or annual thorough inspection should be carried out by a specialist engineer, a SEMA approved rack inspector (SARI). Care must be taken in selecting this inspector as many companies and individuals offer this service but SEMA Approved Rack Inspectors are the only industry approved inspectors. Using a non-approved inspector carries great risks and inspection reports from unapproved inspectors may be rejected by HSE inspectors in the event on accident. There are currently less than one hundred approved inspectors in the UK and a list of these appears on the SEMA website.

So the damage has been reported and inspections carried out, but this is just the start of the process and is a waste of time, effort and money unless suitable remedial action is taken promptly. This means replacing damaged components with manufacturer’s correct replacement parts. When fitted correctly these should restore the original strength of the storage system.

We often hear the expression ‘It’s only like big Meccano, we can do that ourselves’ – well frankly some can’t and I know of at least one collapse that involved a fatality where they ‘did it themselves’. These are load bearing structures and often support hundreds or thousands of tonnes. They must be built correctly, inspected regularly and maintained promptly and correctly in order to remain safe.

In order to minimise the risk of accident or collapse, all storage systems large or small must be:

• Correctly specified (use a reputable supplier).

• Correctly Installed (use qualified installers).

• Damage reported.

• Regularly inspected (use qualified inspectors).

• Promptly and correctly maintained (use qualified installers).

Lionel Drage I Eng. FCILT SARI is Principal Consultant at Safety Survey, a SEMA Approved Rack Inspector and Chairman of the CILT Logistics Safety Forum.