As is the case in different industries and to put it simply, certifications arise from the need to have a validation process carried out by an external body on the quality standard of the products, in this case, industrial racking for warehouses. Certifications serve as a measure of the requirements that the product (and therefore the manufacturer or supplier) fulfils and also provides the customer with objective and parameterised information about the product they intend to purchase.
Storage systems must also comply with standards. Manufacturers of industrial racking for quality heavy loads should have specific certifications for the type of product being marketed. The 6 standards that certify that industrial racking has been prepared and placed in the market in compliance with recognised quality requirements can be divided into 2 large groups: firstly, standards related to product quality and, secondly, those associated with the operation of the company that manufactures or sells them.
Quality standards related to industrial racking
ISO 3438-2 Welding Certification:
The main objective of the EN ISO 3834 certification is to ensure that industrial racking manufacturers carry out adequate control of the special welding process, so that its customers can be assured that its welded products comply with the welding quality requirements.
The EN ISO 3834 set of standards is divided into three categories:
- EN ISO 3834-2: Full quality requirements.
- EN ISO 3834-3: Normal quality requirements.
- EN ISO 3834-4: Basic quality requirements.
An industrial storage racking manufacturer or supplier with the ISO 3438-2 Certificate will be certifying that the welding process is carried out according to a standardised process obtaining identical products in a production line with automated arms (robots) in which there is no human intervention.
EN 1090-1 Standard:
The EN 1090-1 standard is the required certification standard for the CE Marking of any steel structure that is permanently incorporated into a building or civil works. Manufacturers that are accredited with this certification are authorised to provide the CE Marking for clad rack warehouses assembled in the European Union.
The EN-1090-1 standard is required for manufacturers of metal clad-rack structures that are installed in the European Community, as set out in Regulation No. 305/2011 of the European Parliament.
The manufacturer thereby demonstrates with this certificate the highly skilled nature of its technical team and the manufacturing quality of its clad rack industrial racking, the product affected by this standard.
In order to obtain the certification, the demanding requirements imposed by the standard in terms of materials, welding, cutting, forming and surface treatments must be fully complied with. As part of the certification process, tests are carried out on all the affected processes, including inspections of the welding process.
Painting Certification EN 13501-1 (A2-s1, d0 according to EN 13501-1):
One of the important points of this certification is the absence of lead in the paint and the non-propagation of fire, since, in the extreme case of fire in the warehouse for any other reason, the paint on the beams or other components will self-consume avoiding the spread of flames.
Standards related to the storage system manufacturer
OSHAS 18001 Certificate:
This standard certifies the Occupational Health and Safety Management System. The storage solutions provider that has this certificate will be certifying that the company implements policies, procedures and controls to achieve the best work, health and safety conditions.
What this standard seeks is that organisations, among other things:
- Create the best possible work conditions throughout their organisation.
- Identify risks and establish controls to manage them.
- Reduce the number of accidents or sick leave.
- Demonstrate compliance to customers and suppliers.
* The ISO 45001 standard will replace OHSAS 18001, so organisations with such a management system will need to migrate to ISO 45001 by March 2021. The difference, broadly speaking, is that ISO 45001 has a deeper impact on some aspects and that it guarantees greater compatibility with other standards, such as ISO 9001 and 14001.
ISO 14001 Certification:
Certification of the Environmental Management System in accordance with the ISO 14001 standard helps organisations demonstrate their ongoing commitment to improving environmental performance. The industrial sector and, therefore, the logistics sector should demonstrate practices that are respectful of the environment, modernised and in accordance with the context of the current climate crisis.
Complying with a standard such as ISO 14001 is undoubtedly a very important value for the companies and organisations that have it, since it demonstrates a firm commitment to an uncontaminated industrial racking production process.
ISO 9001 Standard:
The standard is focused on achieving quality in an organisation through the implementation of a customer-oriented method or Quality Management System (QMS). The customer and their satisfaction are at the heart of an industrial racking manufacturer’s activity, or any other type of organisation that has this certificate.
Although it does not comply with any of the above standards, there is another factor that indicates the quality levels of the industrial racking manufacturing process and the manufacturer's commitment to development and industry 4.0. We are talking about product traceability, which consists of tracing the uprights and beams that are the basic components that make up the industrial racking structures.
