Hi all, does anyone know how often racking should be inspected by an "expert" rather than the visual checks that can be carried out by employees? Cheers.

Cheers Jimothy, much appreciated.

When I did my racking inspection course last year. I was taught that it depends on the type of racking and how much use/traffic its see's, but yearly is a must. Basically what it means is if you have a busy warehouse inspect it more often than a warehouse where the racking may only be used once a twice a year. It will be based on your risk assesment. I tend to do ours every 4 months and always find new damage on every inspection :(

Hi Russ, I am a SEMA (Storage Equipment Manufacturers Association) Accredited Racking Inspector (SARI). The short answer is 'it depends on usage'. How often you use the equipment and your current awareness (through Risk Assessment compliant with BS EN 15635:2008 - Application and maintenance of Storage Equipment) of damage levels will dictate how often you should have your racking independently inspected by the 'technically competent person'- a SARI. This term is not to be confused with the term 'PRRS' (Person Responsible for Racking Safety) which is usually the 1 day SEMA/IOSH Accredited Racking Safety Inspection Course. The third tier of racking inspection is the Immediate Reporter - the people who work with the racking as part of their employment, usually the FLT Operator; Immediate reporting: As soon as a safety problem or damage is observed by any employee, it should immediately be reported to the PRRS. You should have systems in place for reporting damage and defects. Employees should receive training, information and instruction on the safe operation of the racking system, including the parts affecting their safety and the safety of others. Regular In-House Visual inspections The PRRS should ensure that inspections are made at weekly or other regular intervals based on risk assessment. A formal written record should be maintained. ‘Expert’ inspections A technically competent person should carry out inspections at intervals of not more than 12 months. A written report should be submitted to the PRRS with observations and proposals for any action necessary. A technically competent person might be a trained specialist within an organisation, a specialist from the rack supplier, or an independent qualified rack inspector. HSE Consider best practise to be 12 monthly expert inspections and monthly PRRS Inspections. Depending on the findings of the expert inspection, this interval can be shortened or extended. Insurance and auditing systems also accept this standard. For more detailed information regarding the specific standards, please feel welcome to get in touch. Hope this helps.