With rising costs and an uncertain market, almost everyone is looking for ways to economise.
Cutting costs is not always the answer and comprising on the quality and ongoing care of your storage equipment can be a false economy. After all, you need to remember that the provision of quality racking, storage, shelving, and lockers isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ – there are also legal, regulatory and safety demands that have to be met. Get this wrong and it can have a significant impact on your business.
It makes more sense to invest in certain areas of your business, like your racking and shelving, to reduce costs in the long run. Here are some useful pointers to consider.
Industry Standards
Working in warehousing can be hazardous if companies don’t follow the relevant rules and regulations. There are a number of industry-based accreditations which put safety at the heart of everything they do and Whittan is proud to say that our products and installation services meet the following accreditations and quality standards.
- British Safety Council is dedicated to making sure no-one is injured or made ill through their work. Members must follow strict codes of practice to develop better workplace practices and drive towards the highest health and safety standards.
- British Standards accreditation shows that goods and processes have been assessed against internally recognised standards and operate to the highest levels of quality and service.
- Constructionline is a qualification that enables buyers to quickly find subcontractors and material suppliers that are pre-qualified to government standards.
- CHAS (The Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme) demonstrates a company’s compliance with and sound management of current health and safety legislation.
- SafeContractor ensures compliance across the supply chain, by demonstrating that all current legislation and regulatory process are met, to ensure health and safety standards.
Meeting product standards
With so many different storage equipment suppliers on the market, it can be hard to find a reliable company. Always look for a member of SEMA (the Storage Equipment Manufacturer’s Association), which is a leading voice on raising safety standards within the industry. As a Full Manufacturing SEMA Member our products are submitted to independent product assessments. This guarantees they have been designed by a structural engineer to meet SEMA Codes and that system rigidity is calculated to meet precise criteria under specified conditions.
In other words, the racking will live up to the job it has been designed to do - carry heavy loads - and once loaded the rack and its components will not distort. To put it simply, when you purchase our products, you are also buying reassurance.
Of course, your racking will only ever be as good as the installation behind it and you need to work with installers who are rigorously trained, regularly assessed and work in accordance with installation codes. That is why our teams are SEIRS registered, a unique initiative from SEMA which aims to raise safety standards at the point of installation.
Meeting aftersales standards
All racking follows a circular pattern – you purchase the equipment, it gets installed and then it gets used. It’s important to consider the total cost of ownership, if not followed correctly it can rapidly accelerate the overall expenditure.
Have they discussed inspections and the regime you should implement? Your racking is classed as work equipment and under PUWER you must perform daily and weekly inspections by properly trained in-house employees. Do they provide training on how to conduct these inspections? You must also conduct a yearly ‘expert’ inspection by a qualified professional. Our SEMA Approved Racking Inspectors are skilled engineers who can assess your equipment and determine the safety and structural integrity of your pallet racking systems and warehouse safety.
What happens when your racking needs repairing? How easy will it be to get hold of the correct replacement parts?
Why buy British?
The most obvious answer is that you’re supporting UK industries. But did you know it can also make the purchasing easier?
A lot of racking suppliers import their products which raises the possibility of delays. As a British based manufacturer, Whittan provides our customers with a local point of contact with continued support, a rapid repair and replacement service and the assurance of quality products that meet UK standards. This also means much shorter lead times, less risk in the supply chain and better customer service overall. So, no more worrying about delays or disruptions to your timeline!
Quality starts here
By selecting a racking and storage supplier whose own strict safety, health, environment, and quality practices are a priority. Whittan’s customers will know that buying from them, they too are assured of those same exceptional standards in the products, equipment, and services they choose.
If you’d like to find out how we can help your business, then get in contact today for a free consultation.
