From Pallet Racking to Mezzanine Floors, Office Fit-Outs and Industrial Shelving - our free guide helps you to understand our most popular product solutions for thousands of UK businesses. Not only this, we walk you through the services we offer to make the process of achieving your storage goals simple and hassle-free.

 

For more information, contact our friendly sales team on 01179 555 211 or email info@bse-uk.co.uk

The post BSE UK Free Storage Guide appeared first on BSE UK.

Click the button above to download your Free Rack Inspection checklist

Pallet racking is defined as ‘work equipment’, meaning that it’s the responsibility of you as an employer to ensure it is compliant with current Health and Safety legislation; the recommended way of ensuring compliance is with an annual racking inspection.

Failure to regularly inspect and properly maintain your racking can result in fines for non-compliance, injuries in the workplace, potential downtime, and expensive repairs or replacements due to preventable damage to your racking system.

Our FREE pallet racking inspection checklist is designed to help you assess your racking to ensure it is safe to use and compliant with HSE rules and regulations.

Find out more about how uninspected and damaged racking could have on your business.

Benefits of Carrying Out Routine Racking Inspections

Carrying out a routine visual racking inspection can help to identify damage to your system before it becomes dangerous and expensive to repair. When carrying out inspections, take note of any racking damage that is evident to the:

• Front and rear uprights
• Horizontal and diagonal bracings
• Front and rear base plates
• Front and rear floor fixings
• Front and rear floor beams
• Level plates
• Front and rear safety locks
• Load notice
• Column guards
• Frame spacers
• Nut and bolt sets
• Guide rails
• Shelf panels

 

Racking Inspection Process in line with SEMA Guidelines

At BSE UK, we’re SEMA approved racking inspectors, meaning we can carry out independent racking inspections in line with SEMA’s high standards for racking safety.

In addition to annual checks, a rack inspection is highly recommended where: damage to racking already exists, you have an upcoming Health and Safety inspection or you do not know the safe load capacity of your racking.

A BSE UK Racking inspection includes:

• Carried out by a SARI (SEMA Approved Racking Inspector)
• Rack identification.
• Rack safe working loads.
• Rack damage identification.
• Layout plans, best practice observations and recommendations.

At the end of the inspection, you’ll be provided with a comprehensive, easy to understand report detailing the current health of your pallet racking or shelving system, safe working loads of your racking system, and a clarification of all damage with recommendations to ensure compliance and extend the life of your racking system.

SEMA Approved Racking Inspectors

At BSE UK, we’re SEMA approved racking inspectors, meaning we can carry out independent racking inspections in line with latest SEMA and HSE guidelines. If you’re concerned about damage to your racking or want to book in for an inspection – call our team today on 0117 955 5211.

Awareness Training Also Available

Rack safety awareness training is a cost effective way of ensuring that you and your staff understand how to spot damage to racking through routine visual inspections, how to maintain your racking system and also how to put measures in place to reduce the risk of any damage to racking occurring.

Request a Callback

The post Download a Free Rack Inspection Checklist appeared first on BSE UK.

Do I Require Planning Permission for a Mezzanine Floor?

Typically no formal permission from a local authority is required for the erection of a mezzanine floor. However, there are some occasions when planning permission or Building Regulation Approval is required. Planning permission may be required if:

• The mezzanine floor increases floor area of site when permission to develop site previously restricted
• The Mezzanine is used for office space or work
• External alterations are required to accommodate the floor
• Flooring is for retail usage over 200m²

Can BSE UK help me obtain Planning Permission for a Mezzanine Floor?

To make certain we help our clients every step of the way we can take full responsibility to ensure you receive the correct planning permission for your mezzanine flooring project.

What are the 2010 Requirements for Mezzanine Building Regulations?

The Building Regulations 2010 revoked and replaced the Building Regulations 2000 and are made up of:

• “Procedural regulations that set out what kind of work needs Building Regulations approval and how that approval should be obtained.”
• “Technical requirements that set the standards that should be achieved by the building work.”

(Source: http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/buildingregulations)

Building regulations are in place to promote the health and safety of stakeholders in and around a building by providing standards and requirements for the building design and construction.

‘Raised Storage Areas’ are specifically mentioned in the Building Regulations 2010 thus highlighting mezzanine flooring as potentially susceptible to Building Regulation Approval. Therefore it is important to establish whether or not a mezzanine floor may require approval as part of the design process.

Which parts of the Building Regulations apply to Mezzanine Floors?

The following aspects are applicable to Mezzanine Floor Regulations:

• Part A – Structural Safety
• Part B – Fire Safety
• Part K – Protection from Falling
• Part M – Access To and Use of Buildings

Do you cover off Structural Safety?

Part A is covered by the design and load calculations issued by the mezzanine floor supplier. As a trusted UK fitter and installer, BSE UK provides these structural calculations with all mezzanine floor projects, therefore compliance with Part A is a given if you work with our team.

What about Fire Safety?

Compliance with Fire Safety is summarised in Section 7 of the Building Regulations, therefore the need for fire protection can be established as follows:

Raised Storage Areas

7.7 Raised free-standing floors (sometimes supported by racking) are frequently erected in single storey industrial and storage buildings. Whether the structure is considered as a gallery or is of sufficient size that it is considered as a floor forming an additional storey, the normal provisions for fire resistance of elements of structure may be onerous if applied to the raised storage area.

7.8 A structure which does not have the appropriate fire resistance given in Appendix A, Table A1 is acceptable provided the following conditions are satisfied:

a. the structure has only one tier and used for storage purposes only;

b. the number of persons likely to be on the floor at any one time is low and does not include members of the public;

c. the floor is not more than 10m in either width or length and does not exceed one half of the floor area of the space in which it is situated;

d. the floor is open above and below to the room or space which it is situated; and

e. the means of escape from the floor meets the relevant provisions in Sections 3, 4 and 5.

BSE UK supply mezzanine floors with 1 hour fire protection ensuring you comply with the required standards.

What is Part K & Part M Compliance?

In order to comply with Part K and Part M of the regulations access and protection must be considered at the design stage. All BSE UK supplied mezzanine floors are designed to be fully compliant with these regulations and use approved staircases, handrails and kick plates. For more information on The Building Regulations 2010, please check out these useful links:

• www.labc.uk.com
• www.planningportal.gov.uk

Do I have to Apply for Building Regulation Approval for a Mezzanine Floor Structure?

Yes you can apply for Building Regulations Approval directly with your local council authority or there is an easier way: Get in touch with an approved and independent inspector that can appraise and authorise the installation.

For more information on obtaining an improved inspector, check out The Construction Industry Council website An approved inspector will advise on how the Building Regulations apply to the project in order to provide a full understanding of what is necessary to comply.

They will also check through the design and the plans of the building and inspect the work as required. Following completion of the mezzanine installation, the inspector will issue a certificate of compliance to the local authority in order to confirm completion of the work to the required standard.

How to Keep Mezzanine Flooring Regulations Simple

At BSE UK we can provide you full Building Regulations Approval as part of the supply and installation of the mezzanine floor. This keeps things simple for you and ensures that your project isn’t delayed by to-ing and fro-ing between individuals, inspectors and authorities.

We have access to a number of approved inspectors who we work closely with to provide the full Building Regulations Approval service.

Call us today on 01179 555211 and discuss your project and to decide if your mezzanine flooring needs to apply for Building Regulation Approval.

Request a Callback

The post Mezzanine Floor Building Regs | Does Your Mezzanine Require Planning Permission? appeared first on BSE UK.

Trying to identify what type of pallet racking you have?

Many businesses and warehouses find it difficult to determine the type of pallet racking that they’re actually using in their storage systems.

To help make this process easier, use our Free Racking Identifier Tool which features many of the most popular (and not so popular) pallet racking uprights.

PALLET RACKING IDENTIFIER

If you’re uprights look like this, they’re Sperrin.

This is the upright for the Dexion Speedlock P100 (100mm wide), however it will look the same if it is Dexion P90 or P120.

A relative f the SD, this is a Redirack HD upright

This is a Hilo Premier Rack Upright

Oh la la, if you have uprights of this design then you are rocking the Provost pallet racking system! Tres Bon.

This pallet racking upright is from the Redirack SD storage system.

If your racking looks like this, then it’s Stow.

This Hilo pallet racking upright is found as part of their Rackplan racking system.

Shaefer pallet racking is one of ther more popular pallet racking manufacturers.

Mecalus racking systems.

This racking is Stackapal and is quite rare (that doesnt mean you should keep it!).

Dexion is the market leading pallet racking brand, and was built on the success of the Speedlock MK3 system.

This is an Apex pallet racking upright.

Planned Storage M series pallet racking uses uprights like this one.

Another of the leading racking systems in the UK, Link 51 is one of the most popular – it looks like this.

Difficult to get hold of in the UK nowadays, Finspa pallet racking is an old, uncommon system.

Now part of the Constructor family, Planned Storage P85 uprights look like this…

Is your racking system Polypal?

The most common racking manufacturers in the UK are as follows:

• Dexion
• Link 51
• Hilo
• PSS
• Apex
• Redirack

The most common types of racking include

• Adjustable pallet racking
• Narrow aisle pallet racking
• Drive in pallet racking
• Double deep pallet racking
• Multi tier pallet racking
• Vertical racking

If you are struggling to identify your pallet racking then this tool is worth saving to bookmarks.

Knowing what racking you have is critical as a weak link (or a wrong component) can mean disaster should the replacement part not meet the loading requirements.

It is likely that your pallet racking system will be one of those listed above, but please check the photos for specific identification.

If you still cannot work out which system you are using, give BSE UK a call and we’ll do our best to figure out which racking you’ve got.

For expert advice on your storage requirements get in contact today by calling 01179 555 211 or via email info@bse-uk.co.uk.

The post Racking Identifier | Types of Pallet Racking | BSE UK appeared first on BSE UK.

A question we get asked a lot is, ‘’what information do you need to quote me for some shelving/racking?’’

Use our handy diagram to understand which elements must be considered when designing a pallet racking system.

Click Here to Download Your Free Copy

Top Tips from our team for taking measurements:

 

• "Make sure you allow operational clearances for your pallets when calculating the number of beam levels in the height." - George

 

• "You will need to allow 75 to 100mm clearance between each pallet on a beam level." - Paul

 

• "Use a rigid tape measure, if you have one available this will make it a whole lot easier as you will be able to reach right to the top and back of the rack." - Jason

• "Do a simple sketch, I’m not the best at drawing so I do mean simple. But I always find it helpful when I’m measuring up so I can write the dimensions and visualise the rack." - Matt 

 

• "You need to allow 50mm overhang for your pallets at the front and rear of your racking, to be in line with SEMA i.e if you pallet is 1000mm Deep, you need a 900mm Deep rack." - Dennis

 

What Information Is Needed To Design a Pallet Racking System?

A number of elements must be considered when designing a pallet racing system to ensure it meets your requirements. These include:

• Beam Length
• Beam Load
• Beam Type 
• First Beam Level
• Frame Height
• Frame Depth
• Frame Load 
• Frame Type 
• Footplate Type

Talk To The Experts

If you are able to provide us with all of the measurements on our handy diagram, we can get straight to work on designing your pallet racking system to SEMA standards. If you’re still not sure on what you need to do, that’s okay too.

We know it can be confusing, were here to help. Just give the office a call and one of the team can come to the rescue. You can get a quick quote by emailing us on info@bse-uk.co.uk or calling the office on 0117 955 5211.

The post Download Our Free Design Elements Tool appeared first on BSE UK.

What is my racking weight limit?

One of the most common questions posed in the storage equipment industry is ‘What loading will my racking take?’ One of the most common answers to this question is ‘It depends.’ Which is true. The capacity of your racking depends on a range of factors, which makes it impossible to give a ‘standard’ answer.

Most pallet racking systems are designed bespoke to the requirements of the user. Therefore the components of the system will vary significantly, meaning that no two systems are the same and that giving a definitive answer that covers Dexion racking systems, or any other manufacturer for that matter, can’t be done.

For just £795 + VAT we can accurately calculate the Safe Working Load of your racking system for you – See bottom of page for more details!

In order to give you the weight limits of your specific racking we need to know a few details about the system:

1. What is the Bay Clear Entry?

What is the distance (in millimetres) between the insides of each upright – this must be measured from the front face of the rack i.e right to left along the width, NOT the depth.

2. What is the racking beam section?

In other words, is it an open beam or a box beam? The box beam is a heavier duty beam than the open beam, so this is crucial to the strength of the entire racking system and the loading it can take.

3. Do you know the beam depth?

To measure the beam depth measure the distance across the top of the beam in millimetres. This is generally 40 or 50mm but may be different so be careful when measuring.

4. What about the face of the beam?

The depth of the beam face is also an important dimension when calculating the loading of your system. Whereas the beam depth is commonly 50mm, the beam face depth can vary significantly from 80 or 90mm to as much as 150mm. The deeper the beam face the heavier duty the beam and the more load it is likely to take.

5. How big are the racking frames?

It is important to know the dimensions of your racking frames. The measurement required is the Height (H) (mm) x Width (W) (mm) of the frames. For example, a the end frames may be 6000mm high x 900mm Wide. The width (or depth) of the frame can be measured as the front to back dimension of the rack.

6. What is the vertical beam pitch of your racking system?

The height of each storage level, measured from the floor to the top side of each beam. Beam pitches for Dexion pallet racking are 76.2mm (3 inches) for MK3 Speedlock or 50mm for Dexion P90, therefore beams can only be located at these intervals.

E.g. if you have 3 beam levels we need to know the exact heights of each beam. If the number of beam levels varies across your racking system, then the load criteria will also vary so please bear this in mind.

7. Frame Section (or upright duty)

The frame section indicates the duty of the upright. Different upright duties offer different strengths, therefore it is important to be clear on the load that your rack uprights can take before loading the racking to capacity. For Dexion P90 or Dexion MK3 the duty is stamped onto the steel all the way up each upright. This makes it easy to identify. For example, a heavy duty Dexion upright will have a ‘H’ stamped onto it, or a standard duty upright will have an ‘S’.

Other manufacturers may use the same method, or they may stamp the side profile of the upright.

Further Useful Information
In order to provide you with the most accurate loading calculation it is recommended that you provide the following information:

Pallet Size:

• UK Pallet (1200mm x 1000mm)
• Euro Pallet (1200mm x 800mm)

Fully Loaded Pallet Details:

• Dimensions (Height, Width, Depth)
• Weight
• Orientation

Type of Racking:

• Standard Adjustable Pallet Racking
• Narrow Aisle Racking
• Drive In Racking

It is recommended that each rack is fitted with a load notice that clearly indicates the maximum loading of your racking.

Call now on 0117 955 5211 for more information.

Keep your Dexion racking safe and know your limits!

The post Pallet Racking Weight Limits Guide | What Load will my Racking Take? appeared first on BSE UK.