Pallet racking in Aberdare, from a team just over the mountain at Seven Sisters.

Hirwaun is around 11 miles from our yard at Seven Sisters, about 20 minutes via Glynneath and the A465. For a racking survey we normally offer a slot within 5 working days. For damage, such as an upright hit by a forklift, we can often attend the same or next day, assess it against SEMA guidance, tell you whether the bay must be offloaded and quote the replacement component while we are on site. Most common frame and beam sizes are carried on the van.

Usually, yes. We inspect the racking before it is taken down, identify the manufacturer and profile, and check frames and beams for damage. Sound components are dismantled, moved and rebuilt to a new layout drawn for the Aberdare unit you are moving into. Anything damaged is replaced, and shortfalls are made up from matched used stock. Time on site depends on the number of bays and how much can be moved in one go, and we agree strip out and rebuild dates with you before the move. You receive new load notices for the rebuilt installation.

If your staff use it, yes. Under PUWER 1998 the employer whose people use the equipment must keep it safe, whoever installed it. On Aberaman Park and other multi-let estates in Aberdare we often find inherited racking without load signs or records. The first step is an inspection by a SEMA Approved Rack Inspector, which tells you what it can safely carry, what needs repair and what to remove. After that you need an appointed person doing recorded checks and an expert inspection at least every 12 months.

Yes. Inspections are visual and done from the aisle, so we work around trucks and pickers. For food sites in the Cynon Valley we often start at 6am before the first deliveries, or inspect on a planned hygiene or maintenance day. Inspectors wear the PPE your site requires and follow your hygiene rules for production areas. We agree the time on site from your bay count at booking, and the written report follows after the visit, timed ahead of your next audit if needed.

In a unit of 1,100 to 1,600 sq ft the usual answer is a mix. One or two runs of pallet racking along a wall, with beams from 1500 to 2700mm wide, take bulk stock on pallets. Longspan shelving at around 200, 400 or 800kg per level covers boxed goods and spares. If the eaves are high enough, a small mezzanine can double the usable area. We draw a layout at survey so you can compare options before spending anything.

For standard adjustable pallet racking, plan on 4 to 8 weeks from order to completion, most of which is manufacturing and delivery lead time. Used racking from stock can usually be fitted sooner, depending on what is available. Time on site for a Hirwaun or Aberaman unit depends on its size and the number of bays. Mezzanine steelwork usually goes up in 1 to 3 weeks once building control is approved, and pallet shuttle systems need 12 to 16 weeks.

It depends on your trucks and the column grid. Counterbalance trucks need roughly 3.5 to 4.2m aisles, reach trucks 2.7 to 3.2m and articulated trucks 1.8 to 2.1m. In older Hirwaun halls the column spacing often decides the layout, so we measure the grid first and test which truck and aisle combination gives the most pallet locations. Switching from counterbalance to reach can add a full run of racking in some units.