Do I Need to Have Load Notices on My Storage Equipment?

There is no specific regulation requiring load notices

Although there is no specific legislation requiring load notices to be placed on storage equipment, there is an obligation on an employer to ensure all employees have all the information they need to operate the storage equipment safely.

Racking and shelving are considered to be work equipment and, therefore, are covered by the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) which requires, amongst other things:

That the equipment should be inspected and maintained in good working condition.
That people operating work equipment are given adequate training in the correct use of the equipment.
That employees are given necessary health and safety information.

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The load notice is a safety sign and, as well as giving information about the Safe Working Load (SWL) of the racking, also gives important instructions and information about the general usage of the racking. As the load notice is a safety sign it must comply with safety sign legislation i.e., the Health & Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 and these regulations require that the safety sign must follow certain rules, for example, with respect to the shape and colour of the sign.

So, the SEMA load notice is the easiest way for an employer -

to comply with HSE recommendations
to satisfy their legal obligation to supply the information about safe operation of the racking
to follow the safety sign legislation

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