PUWER RACKING INSPECTION
PUWER-aligned annual racking inspections, weekly PRRS support, and full documentation packs. Keep your insurance valid, your HSE file clean, and your warehouse staff safe.
1998 Aligned
HSE Guidance
SEIRS Inspectors
Years Experience
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) place a legal duty on UK employers to ensure work equipment — including pallet racking — is maintained in efficient working order and inspected by a competent person at appropriate intervals. UM Storage Systems' SEIRS-registered inspectors deliver PUWER-aligned inspections nationwide, with the documentation your insurer, HSE and corporate auditors need.
Annual PUWER inspections are supplemented by weekly Person Responsible for Racking Safety (PRRS) walk-arounds and immediate impact-damage assessments — a three-tier compliance system that keeps you fully covered between visits.
What PUWER Requires for Pallet Racking
PUWER Regulation 5 requires work equipment to be maintained in efficient working order. Regulation 6 requires inspection by a competent person at suitable intervals. Regulation 8 requires the user to be provided with adequate health and safety information.
HSE Guidance Note HSG76 (Warehousing and Storage) interprets these duties for racking specifically, recommending annual expert inspection (interpreted as SEIRS-registered) supplemented by weekly trained-staff inspections, with documented findings and remediation actions.
What a PUWER-Aligned Inspection Includes
Every component of every bay is examined: uprights, beams, beam connectors, base plates, splices, bracing, footplates, load notices, aisle clearances and structural changes since the previous inspection. Defects are graded Red/Amber/Green per SEMA convention, photographed, and located on a site plan.
A same-day digital report includes all defects, photo log, location plan, repair recommendations, costed quote (no obligation) and an updated certificate of inspection. The full report is delivered before the inspector leaves site.
Multi-Site and National Account Coverage
We hold national PUWER inspection contracts with retail, 3PL, manufacturing and public-sector operators, covering hundreds of sites annually. Findings are consolidated into a single dashboard for facilities and HSE managers, with traffic-light status by site and trend analysis on impact-damage hotspots.
Single point of contact, consistent inspection methodology, and predictable annual budget — three things that matter to multi-site operators.
Repair, Remediation and Closing Out Defects
Where defects are found, we provide an itemised repair quote alongside the inspection report. Repairs can be carried out by our own crews — splice repairs, beam swaps, full frame replacement, load notice updates — under the same SEIRS-aligned framework, closing the loop on every defect.
Optional fixed-fee repair contracts include unlimited Amber-defect repairs within the contract year, capping your remediation cost.
Key Features
Typical UK Applications
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is PUWER inspection the same as SEIRS inspection?
PUWER is the legal framework; SEIRS is the qualification of the inspector who delivers it. A PUWER-aligned racking inspection should always be carried out by a SEIRS-registered inspector to demonstrate competence.
Will my insurance be invalid without PUWER inspections?
Most commercial property insurers now require annual racking inspection as a condition of cover. Failing to inspect risks both insurance invalidation and HSE enforcement under PUWER.
Can you cover multiple sites under one contract?
Yes — we hold national multi-site PUWER inspection contracts with consolidated dashboard reporting and a single account manager.
What records should I keep between annual inspections?
Weekly PRRS walk-around inspections in a documented log book. We supply log books and PRRS training as part of our standard service.
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