Health and Safety in the workplace is an issue which organisations cannot afford to ignore. The cost of accidents and subsequent absenteeism, putting pressure on industry, continues to rise year on year.

The risks of accidental damage can be dramatically reduced by taking cost-effective, often simple, precautions and preventative measures.

Organisations which have high health and safety standards are often, themselves, very successful irrespective of size or industry classification.

This guide will help enable your organisation to secure a safer and healthier working environment by outlining the regulations which govern the storage handling process from design through to construction while, at the same time, considering your legal responsibilities.

Health and Safety in the workplace is a manageable factor, and many organisations need to do more to prevent accidents. This guide will help you develop a safer working environment.

Storage systems e.g. Pallet Racking and Shelving are, in general, safe if well designed, well maintained, and are used in the way intended.

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is the most important of all Health and Safety Legislation. It ensures that virtually all workers in all occupations are covered by Health and Safety Legislation.

The Act also imposes general duties on, specifically – manufacturers, suppliers and employees as well as the employers and the self-employed.

Health & Safety Executive, Central enquiry number:- Tel : +44 (0)8701 545500 Email: hseinformationservices@natbrit.com

Storage Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA). c/o METCOM, 6th Floor, 35 Dale End, Birmingham B4 7NL. Tel: +44 (0)121 200 2100

Storage Handling Equipment Distributors Association (SHEDA). Heathcote House 136 Hagley Road Birmingham B16 9PN Tel: 0121 454 4141 Fax: 0121 454 49 49 E-mail: enquiries@sheda.org.uk

United Kingdom Warehousing Association. Walter House, 418-422 Strand, London WC2R 0PT. Tel: +44 (0)171 836 5522

Cold Storage and Distribution Federation. Downmill Road, Bracknell. Berkshire RG12 1GH

Moresecure Ltd

Uprights and Bracing Members

	A steel straight edge 1.0 metre long should be placed in contact with a flat surface on the concave side of the damaged frame upright such that the damaged area lies central as near as possible to the length of the straight edge. (see fig.1)
	For an upright bent in the direction of the rack beam spans, the maximum gap between the straight edge should not exceed 5.0mm.
	For an upright bent in the direction of the frame bracing, the maximum gap between the upright and the straight edge should not exceed 3.0mm
	For an upright which has been damaged such that there is a simultaneous bend in both longitudinal and lateral direction, the left to right and front to back deformation shall be measured separately as in 2 and 3 above and the appropriate maximum limits observed.
	For bracing members bent in either plane, the gap between straight edge and bracing member should not exceed 10.0mm.
	These rules only apply to damage which produces an overall bend in the member. They do not apply to highly localised damage such as dents, buckles, tears and splits. Localised bends over a length of less than one metre may be judged pro-rata to the 1.0 metre limits e.g. over a half metre length half of the prescribed limits apply. Members subjected to tears and splits should be replaced.
	Under maximum permissible loading conditions with maximum deviation from straightness in any upright, a reduced margin of safety will exist. Where the deviations are in excess of items 2 to 5 above, the damaged members should be unloaded and the suppliers consulted.

Beams will naturally deflect under normal loading conditions to a permitted maximum of span x 1/200. This deflection (elastic) should disappear when the beams are unloaded and should not be confused with permanent (plastic) deformation caused by overloading or side impact.

Damage should be measured against the following criteria:

	Residual vertical deformation should not exceed 20% of the normal deflection (span x 1/200) under load. Residual lateral/horizontal deformation should not exceed 40% of the normal vertical deformation (span x 1/200)
	Beam connectors which show any clearly visible deformation should be unloaded and expert advice sought from the equipment supplier.
	Welded connections between beam section and end connectors should show no signs of cracking.

Click here to download the document.

The CDM Regulations place duties on you as the client and others for whom you are responsible i.e. Planning Supervisor, Designer and Contractors to plan, co-ordinate and manage Health and Safety throughout all stages of a Construction Project.

Anyone who apponts a Designer or Contractor has to ensure that they are competent for that work and will allocate adequate resources for Health and Safety.

The CDM Regulations apply to construction work which is: Notifiable, i.e. lasts for more than 30 days OR involves more than ‘500 person days’ OR involves 5 or more persons on site OR any design work no matter how long OR if the work requires any demolition.

The client’s responsibilities as a Duty Holder include:
	To appoint a Planning Supervisor
	Provide Health and Safety information to the Planning Supervisor
	Appoint a Principal Contractor
	Appoint a Designer
	Ensure all the above Duty Holders are adequately resourced to meet their responsibility
	Ensure the Principal Contractor prepares a Health and Safety Plan BEFORE construction commences
	Ensure continued maintenance of the safety file during all stages
	Presentation of Safety File to end user

Solving the Storage Problem…

Before the purchase of a new storage system, it is important that the user understands as much as possible about the equipment he intends to use for the storage of goods. This not only concerns the racking system but also involves the quality and type of pallets and mechanical handling equipment used to load and offload the racking system.

The Storage Specialist will visit your premises to discuss and assess your exact needs. For this evaluation it will be necessary for you to consider and provide him with adequate information. The index list shown below can be used as a useful checklist as it contains the details normally required.

INDEX LIST for RACKING & SHELVING
	PALLETS Pallet Type, Pallet Size, Pallet Construction, Load Carrying Capacity, Orientation of Pallet Use
	UNIT LOAD Unit Weight (including pallet), Overall Dimensions of Unit Load, Unit Load Security, Unit Load Stability
	HANDLING EQUIPMENT Type of Equipment (manual)/(mechanical), Equipment Capacity, Maximum Lift Height, Size of Practical Operating Aisle, Dimensions of Handling Equipment
	STORAGE AREA Area Dimensions, Obstructions in Area (suspended)/(floor level), Construction of Floor (bituminous)/(concrete)/(other), Floor Loading Capacity, Floor Fixing Facilities, Access and Egress to Area
	OPERATING CONDITIONS Type of Goods, Frequency of Movement, Fire Protection Requirements
	ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT Protective Devices, Storage Accessories

General duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably pracicable, the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work of all their employees. This include:

The provision and maintenance of plant and equipment and systems of work which are safe and without risk to health

Ensuring safety and absence of risks in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances

Provision of information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure safety

The maintenance of any place of work and the provision of a safe means of access and egress from the site

The provisionand maintenance of a working environment which is safe, providing facilities and arrangements for welfare at work.

To take reasonable care for the Health and Safety of themselves and any other persons who might be affected by their acts or omissions. Also:

To co-operate with their Employer to comply with Statutory Duties

Must not intentionally or recklessly misuse or interfere with anything provided in the interests of safety.

Regulation 6 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations requires Employers to "Ensure that work equipment is maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair". The Statutory duty to maintain equipment so as to avoid risks to Health and Safety is therefore absolute and unqualified.

The maintenance of a storage installation is often neglected resulting in equipment which is unreliable, unsafe and costly. Racking and Shelving failures have hidden costs which can include:

	Accidents to People
	Loss of Business
	Time and expense of clean-up operations
	Capital Expenditure to replace damaged equipment
	Temporary Storage Costs
	Replacing damaged goods
	Disruption of work activities

Regular inspection of racking and shelving can ensure the proper management of the system and therefore:

	Ensure compliance with legislative requirements
	Reduce hidden costs
	Maintain standards of safety

It is critical that regular inspection is undertaken of your Storage system to highlight any potential risks caused by improper use or damage to the equipment.

Inspections must always be undertaken by trained, competent persons with knowledge and experience in the identification of problems which may lead to serious damage or injury.

Here are some of the operational controls which will help to ensure the continued safe use of the storage equipment.

	Never alter the structure without first consulting the supplier
	Always make references to the Equipment's Technical Data concerning maximum safe loads
	Always ensure that Operators are correctly trained and instructed in the safe use of the equipment
	Undertake regular visual inspections of the storage system
	Ensure Operators, Staff, Employees etc. promptly report any accidental damage as it occurs

Inspections should be carried out by:

	Operatives during their routine work
	Supervisors during regular patrols
	Management on a weekly basis
	A qualified inspector, at least twice a year, depending upon warehouse throughput

Some points to consider during inspections:

	Poorly located loads
	Damage to pallets
	Unsafe use of fork trucks
	Damage to structure
	Damage to Floor
	Poor Housekeeping
	Overloaded storage equipment
	Uneven weight distribution

MGK offer one of the most advanced systems of pallet racking available. Palletstore is designed and manufactured to the stringent requirements of BS/EN ISO 9000 series incorporating QAS2000. It is produced from tough, but lightweight sections, designed to withstand the rigours of normal warehousing operations. However, it cannot withstand misuse or abuse through poor handling or bad working practices. Consideration must be given to the provision of added protection especially at vulnerable positions such as:

	Column Guards and Upright Protectors - help to eliminate risk of structural damage to the upright columns and thus the integrity of the racking structure
	Rack End Protectors - protects the end frame sections of racking. Ideally suited to positions which require high usage and movement of goods
	Free Standing Barriers - ideal means of segragating and protecting other areas, equipment or personnel from the through movement of goods within the racking area, typical usages include:
	Segregation of through routes for pedestrians Across the rear of shelving Areas such as quarantine of goods Work Stations Fork Truck Battery Charging Stations
By using a combination of all or any of the above protective devices both the integrity and therefore the Safety Standards of any racking or storage system can be maintained.