Minimize your risk
Periodic inspections of your warehouse racking by a qualified expert ensures risks are minimized when it comes to the safety of your workers.
Damage accumulates over time
Let’s face it: warehouse rack collapses are rare occurrences. You actually have to be fairly negligent to get one to fall down. If you have a reasonable inspection routine and a repair component, it’s not likely to happen.
Nevertheless, many incidents occur over time as people and product move through your facility. At the very least, it’s extremely likely that workers will have inadvertently collided into your racking structure with forklifts or hit it with pallets. This means the odds that 20-year-old racking equipment has gone undamaged are slim to none.
Changing regulations
In addition, health and safety regulations are continually placing more emphasis and responsibility on companies and management to carry out risk self-assessments in the workplace to ensure the safety of employees and visitors.
The general consensus is that an internal health and safety committee should examine racking equipment on a monthly basis and an external expert should do so on a yearly basis.
Reasons for warehouse racking compliance
Government regulations
In recent years, the Ontario Ministry of Labour has become more proactive in terms of getting companies to pay attention to rack damage and putting into place a rack inspection routine.
The Occupational Health and Safety Act of Ontario requires that a Pre-Start Health and Safety Review (PSR) be performed by a professional engineer on any structure or protective element that has been installed or modified since October 7th, 2000.
CSA best practices
According to Section 8.1.6 of the Canadian Standards Association’s new user guide for steel storage, the frequency of inspections should be determined by a risk assessment done by a health and safety professional, the rack vendor, or an engineering consultant specialized in rack inspection.
If you have a rack collapse and you weren’t following the CSA’s best practices, you may find yourself in facing legal action.
Municipal oversight
In the past, municipalities did not require rack permits. But nowadays, as a source of revenue, they routinely demand permits for rack structures.
The only way to obtain a permit is to provide an engineer-stamped drawing that outlines the structure, along with proof that a certified engineer has examined the floor and rack structure and has provided a seal of approval that the structure is safe.
The 3D solution
A periodic inspection of your warehouse racking can ensure risks are kept to a minimum and that you continue to operate at full capacity.
3D Storage Solutions offers expert inspection services, reports and repair work. Our thorough, professional inspection service is conducted by certified and experienced engineers who have a wealth of storage industry experience. They’ll inspect and verify that your storage equipment meets provincial requirements.
As well, our pallet racking safety consultants will inspect your warehouse racking and equipment, make recommendations via an in-depth report, and help you reduce potential risks to your employees while abiding by the Ontario Ministry of Labour’s guidelines.
Let us help ensure that everyone remains safe and that your racking equipment and accessories are compliant.