THE RACK GROUP WORKING ALONGSIDE IRON MOUNTAIN

The Rack Group Ltd is delighted to announce they have just renewed another year’s contract with Iron Mountain, one of the world’s leading document storage giants.  After a rigorous tender process The Rack Group won the privilege once again of becoming Iron Mountain’s preferred pallet racking maintenance and inspections company. Phil Maxwell-Smith The Rack Group’s Managing Director commented “we are very pleased that Iron Mountain have decided to choose the Rack Aid® Management System. Over the years The Rack Group have developed a very strong working relationship with Iron Mountain and look forward to working with them for another year.”

Iron Mountain first approached The Rack Group Ltd with the sole purpose to find a solution to help reduce and eliminate where possible pallet racking damage across their distribution network. Iron Mountain identified their warehouse and distribution division as an area where savings associated with pallet racking maintenance and repair could be made and The Rack Group were only too happy to assist.

The working relationship between The Rack Group and Iron Mountain started six years ago when John Headford of Iron Mountain formerly known as Hays Distribution, approached The Rack Group with the sole purpose to reduce pallet racking maintenance and repair costs throughout Iron Mountain’s entire network. After seeing the huge success The Rack Group’s Rack Aid® Management System had been when implemented throughout ASDA stores and distribution centres, Iron Mountain took the decision to adopt The Rack Aid Management System for themselves throughout their entire network.    

Regular safety inspections were employed throughout the network which gathered crucial information in regards to stocking materials and the types of damage being incurred. After analysing each safety inspection, The Rack Group identified fitting Rack Armour (upright protection) to stop the damage happening, and replacing damaged uprights with sacrificial legs would save Iron Mountain time, money and disruption around the warehouse.

Users of Industrial Storage Equipment have a legal duty to carry out regular inspection audits in order to identify damaged components (as stated in the Provision and safe Use of Work Equipment Regulation section 6), these inspections are key to the whole management system.

More recently the training aspect of The Rack Aid® Management System has been incorporated throughout Iron Mountain. The Rack Group and Iron Mountain identified training as a vital element within the management system as a means to ensure Iron Mountain colleagues were given the correct information, instruction, training and supervision to work safely in and around storage equipment.  Iron Mountain wanted competent operatives and seniors managers throughout the network to be aware of the dangers associated with working with pallet racking. The Rack Group developed bespoke training enabling Iron Mountain’s workforce to work safely around the warehouse and to conduct their own pallet racking safety inspections. Further developments are in place to offer an accredited qualification NVQ (QCF) to Iron Mountain’s employees regarding inspections to qualify their workforce, once developed this will then be available for others.  

Over the past six years the Rack Aid Management System has saved the Iron Mountain network thousands of pounds in repair costs and strives to increase this figure year after year. This will be achievable through constant developments and innovative thinking. The Rack Group embraces this challenge and looks forward to another successful year working alongside Iron Mountain.

If reducing your pallet racking maintenance and repair costs whilst still maintaining a strong health and safety culture is important to you, please call 01226 784488, or visit our website www.therackgroup.com and ask about what The Rack Group can do for you.