SEMA Introduce Code Changes, Pro-Environment Strategies, and Future Plans at Their 2015 Seminar

Carrying on from last year’s “Zero-Harm” theme, this year’s SEMA seminar was about decreasing waste and carbon emissions as well as decreasing accidents. President Matt Grierson, four members of SEMA’s technical committee, Ian Phillips of QCS International, and Wayne Wiggins, SEMA’s Distributor Company Assessor, were all at the event and ready to give their input into what SEMA is doing and what they plan on doing over the coming years.

The technical committee explained how much of SEMA’s responses to technical queries are done during their free-time, which goes to show SEMA’s dedication to helping people understand their codes. The team also explained the benefits of switching to digital office equipment in order to produce and change the codes. In the past, printing off paper has been time-consuming and costly to the environment. Now, because codes are updated digitally, they can be accessed quicker and easier. Ian Phillips, after coming all the way from Glasgow to attend the seminar, continued the environmental theme by providing a lengthy presentation on pro-environmental attitudes and discussed the forthcoming revisions to ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems.

SEMA’s technical committee went on to explain in detail what the most recent changes in code would mean. End frames, corner uprights and exposed frames on bridge bays all need racking protection. Paragraph 639 of ‘Warehousing and storage: a guide to health and safety’ backs this up by stating that “where racking is likely to be struck by lift trucks and other vehicles, it should be protected”. Though it was emphasised that neither the code nor this paragraph should not be interpreted to mean just physical racking protection. Rather, racking protection should be preventative, through regular racking inspection, and while physical protection is important it should only be seen as a last resort.

SEMA’s future plans were to turn their ‘Guide to Method Statements’ into a formal code of practice for the installation of storage equipment. This will ensure safe workplace but will also ensure healthy dialogue with HSE who have promised to turn the code into law. However, SEMA are aware of their setbacks as they admitted to having trouble getting the time and input necessary from the relevant professionals. Yet SEMA remain confident that can produce a code that will allow safe installation of storage equipment but is also aware of the different installation methods that are currently used. SEMA’s next seminar is set for June 2015 and they hope that they will have the code turned into law by then. Everybody in the industry will be keen to see if SEMA manage this over the next 12 months.

About the Author Justin O’Sullivan is a journalist in the construction and warehousing industry and the founder of SEMA Racking Inspections.

www.semarackinginspections.co.uk