Store with Stakapal : Windows and Conservatories

As designers, manufacturers and installers Stakapal has the expertise to deliver a total storage solution and has worked with many leading businesses to deliver a highly tailored storage system, working alongside a variety of clients to address their very specific requirements.

Our primary focus in servicing this fast growing and highly competitive sector has been to ensure that we povide innovative and high quality designs that are cost effective for this specialist market.

From standard applications to high bay specialist systems, our project management skills extend not just to the design and integrity of the racking , but also to the interfacing of sometimes very specialist handling equipment that has to perform within critical tolerances to ensure operational serviceability.

Make sure they can't 'PIN' you down!

Your Environmental Health Officer will automatically check your Beam Locking Pins when visiting your site...

The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 requires you to:

1. Provide safe systems and equipment for using, handling, storing and transporting articles and substances.
2. Provide the relevant information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure the health and safety at work of employees.

• The most common causes of collapse or accidents with falling stock from Pallet Racking is dislodged beam connectors.
• Missing or damaged Beam Locking Pins can highlight dislodged beams.

 Don't run the risk of falling stock endangering your Staff or Customers...

Stakapal can help with a full range of safety checks, ranging from missing Load Labels and Beam Locking Pins, through to full SEMA Approved Inspections.

 DON'T WAIT UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE! 

Do you know YOUR responsibilities?

• SEMA (the Storage Equipment Manufacturers Association) regularly publish techincal information in the form of Codes of Practice and Guidelines for the manufacturing, installation and inspection of racking.
• Stakapal's complete range is produced in accordance with the SEMA Quality Assessment Scheme which ensures independent checking of all design procedures and methods.

 

• SEIRS (the Storage Equipment Installers Registration Scheme) is the only national programme for installers which addresses the Health and Safety needs of the industry.
• All Stakapal installation teams have appropriate SEIRS qualifications and carry a unique SEIRS identity card that Site Managers, Health & Safety Inspectors, Customers and other officials may verify.

 

REGULAR RACKING INSPECTIONS ARE REQUIRED TO:

• Prevent and minimise the effects of accidents
• Maximise safety in the workplace
• Comply with legislation eg the workplace Health & Safety Welfare Reg's

LEGAL COMPLIANCE REQUIRES:

• An annual or bi-annual inspection by a technically competent person i.e. the SEMA Approved Rack Insepctor (SARI)

The benefits of using a SEMA approved Racking Ispector are :

• Inspectors are trained and asssessed to industry standards
• Competent third party inspection of your equipment
• On - going commitment to CPD
• An independent report is provided
• Identification of red, orange and green risks
• Safety recommendations
• Value for money.

 REMEMBER IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

Racking Safety : What to do should things come tumbling down

A guide as to what you should do in the event of serious incidents within your workplace. Including : Rack Collapse, Reportable Accidents, Dangerous Occurrences, or Incidents whereupon a Reportable Injury is caused.


What is a Reportable Accident? 
A Reportable Accident is an accident that firstly involves the collapse of over 5000kgs of material. In addition to the collapse, an incident is definable as a Reportable Accident if the person/persons injured in the collapse of the material are off work / unable to perform their normal range of duties for more than three days (including weekends & holidays.) The injury obtained within the accident would therefore be defined as a Reportable Injury.


What is a Dangerous Occurrence?
A Dangerous Occurrence is the occurring of an incident where less than 5000kgs of material comes down, but thankfully, no one is hurt. However, despite the avoidance of injury this time, the collapse would still be classed as a Dangerous Occurrence if there was a clear risk that someone could have, in fact, been injured.


Serious Incidents are thankfully a rare occurrence, especially if all Health and Safety procedures are followed, kept up to date and regular checks made. However, in the unfortunate event of a Serious Incident occurring within the workplace, the following action is immediately required:

• Ensure that anyone who has been injured by or trapped in the rack collapse, receives trained medical care immediately.
• Work to clear and secure the affected  area immediately and without delay. If possible, obtain specialist advice before the moving of anything. 
• Directly follow your company standing procedures regarding injury and consult the Factory Inspector, Health & Safety Executive, etc, for advice.
• Immediately report the incident to the appropriate notifying authority without any delay. 
• Make sure to take as many photographs as possible, capturing all details as soon after the event as possible. 
• In the event that a caution under PACE ensues it would be advisable to consider appointing an expert witness.
• Thoroughly review the likely causes of the incident to ensure that there are no similar situations waiting to occur.

If you and your company have any concerns about Racking Safety, Stakapal can offer many services that may assist you. With a full range of safety checks, ranging from missing Load Labels and Beam Locking Pins, through to full SEMA Approved Inspections, Stakapal can work alongside you and your company to ensure complete rack safety and eradicate any potential risks.

Pallet Racking : RED RISKS

Pallet Racking is a storage system utilising a series of frames consisting of two upright posts joined together by bolted or occasionally welded bracing members. The frames are connected by longitudinal members (beams) upon which regular shaped pallet loads are placed. Where loads are irregular by virtue of their length, depth or general variability then Cantilever Racking is often used. This benefits from having no regularly spaced frames obstructing long products being placed into the rack. 


Often the inspection of Pallet Racks reveals 'Red Risks' which require immediate offloading of those racks or locations, Red Risks include the following :

POST DAMAGE

For an upright bent in the direction of the rack beam, the maximum gap between the upright and the straight edge should not exceed 5.0mm. If it does it becomes an ORANGE risk. More than 10mm is RED risk.

RED RISK REQUIRES IMMEDIATE OFFLOADING AND REPAIRING/REPLACING

BRACE DAMAGE

For bracing members bent in either plan, the gap between straight edges and bracing member should not exceed 10.0mm. If it does it becomes an ORANGE risk. More than 20mm is RED risk.

ORANGE RISK BECOMES A RED RISK IF NOT REPAIRED/REPLACED WITHIN 4-6 WEEKS.

BEAM DAMAGE

Beams will naturally deflect under normal loading conditions to a maximum permissible span/200. Residual deflection should be no more than 20% of normal deflection under load.

BEAM DISLODGEMENT

If connector lugs are dislodged or not seated correctly, the beam will fail at one end leading to collapse of the level or the bay OR even the whole rack.

If these potential risks aren't closely monitored ... watch out it may be too late!

Fabrack for Accrofab

Stakapal were the prefered supplier for Accrofab's manufacturing facility in Derby. The East Midland based company - a major supplier to the Aerospace sector, was established in 1977. The growth of the company has been achieved through continuous investment in new technologies, with manufacturing techniques including : Sheet metal working, CNC machining, Laser cutting, Welding and Vacuum heat treatment. This is supported by a customer portfolio including world leading aerospace manufacturers and universities. 

With limited space for stock and work in progress, combined with double handling and easy access to raw materials, the need for a Cantilever Racking system was quickly becoming an essential investment for the business. After going through an extensive tender process Stakapal were awarded the contract which consisted of 13 single sided racks dedicated to three different sizes of sheet material. 

Column heights were only 5500mm high, and with such a small combined pallet and product height the system was designed to accommodate 15 apertures which included the base of the column and 14 arm locations. 

Edward Ashworth, Manufacturing Manager comments "There was very little difference in the prices obtained from those who quoted, and whilst the Stakapal price was competitive it was the advanced structural design of their Cantilever Racking system that sealed it for us." 


Edward goes on to say "We take every investment we make very seriously and this project was no exception. Stakapal were extremely accommodating and a visit to an existing client of theirs only reaffirmed my thoughts, as the installation I was taken to incorporated varying types of Cantilever profiles and clearly demonstrated that we had committed to the right product."