Pre-start health and safety reviews (PSR) are a Ministry of Labour requirement. This regulation requires the owner, lessee, or employer to have proper documentation for new or used storage equipment. Canadian Rack Technologies Inc. has provided numerous pre-start health and safety reviews for our customers and also for owners of storage equipment who have received a Ministry of Labour “Order to Comply.
Making sure your storage system complies with Ontario Health & Safety Act is important. Our experienced staff members are happy to review your site. Please review the Ontario Ministry of Labour PSR Guideline online for more information.
A PSR may only be completed by a Professional Engineer with a business or firm that is authorized to do so. Canadian Rack Technologies has obtained our Certificate Of Authorization from the PEO (Professional Engineers Ontario) and we are one of very few storage solution providers in Ontario to legally offer the service of PSR’s on storage systems by our in-house P-ENG.
In compliance with The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and section 7 of the Ontario Regulation 851 for Industrial Establishments, our engineers are fully qualified to perform PSRs in the following industrial areas:
Our experienced and professional engineers are also qualified to provide PSR assessments and reports within the following industrial sectors:
Before delving into the implementation process, it’s important to know what a pre-start health and safety review is and why it’s required by the province of Ontario. A PSR is the process of assessing the functionality, quality, and safety of material handling equipment, pallet rack storage units, industrial shelving, as well as warehouse, distribution, and manufacturing facility operations.
The purpose of these assessments is to ensure that all operations are in complete compliance with province-mandated health and safety standards and to guarantee safe and efficient working conditions for all employees.
PSRs are typically conducted onsite at the final industrial setting. Preliminary reviews at the manufacturing facility are also strongly encouraged and even recommended by occupational health and safety experts to identify potential issues and make necessary modifications prior to official installation and use.
The process includes composing a written report that outlines all the measures needed to bring industrial material handling equipment and storage units up to code in compliance with official safety standards. Detailed safety risk and hazard assessments are also included in the review along with specific maintenance and repair recommendations to ensure that all equipment is in compliance with safety standards. Operational processes are also reviewed in this same manner to identify deficiencies, correct any potential issues, and ensure compliance with health and safety standards.
Only licensed engineers are qualified to perform PSRs in an official capacity.
The Ontario Ministry of Labour requires that all industrial work environments provide PSRs that prove compliance with official health and safety standards. These reports must be completed by licensed engineers.
PSRs are required if the facility in question is a factory, warehouse, or industrial complex. Under Ontario law, all and existing operational processes, material handling equipment, industrial shelving, and storage units must undergo and pass various comprehensive safety assessments. Modifications to existing structures, equipment, and operational processes must also be carefully evaluated to ensure compliance with official safety standards.
If you have specific questions about how PSRs work, what they entail, and what type of facilities or equipment are legally subject to health and safety assessments, then we’d be happy to answer them for you. On that note, here’s a general list of frequently asked questions and answers on the topic.
Only fully licensed and registered engineers are legally allowed to perform PSRs in Ontario. Although experienced technicians who have worked in industrial complexes can technically perform PSRs if they have specific knowledge of the equipment and operational practices, it’s recommended to choose a licensed and registered engineer for legal reasons. At Canadian Rack, all of our experienced engineers are registered and authorized by Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) to perform PSRs.
PSRs have a lot of time- and money-saving benefits for professional industrial complexes. Performing an in-depth analysis of operational processes, machinery, and storage units allows you to quickly identify potential deficiencies and structural issues that can slow down your processes and put your employees at great risk. Once unsafe working conditions are identified, specific measures can be implemented to correct these issues quickly.
Follow-up reviews and ongoing maintenance are excluded from PSRs as this falls under the jurisdiction of the onsite management team. Whenever modifications are set to be made for operational processes, equipment, or storage units, the onus is on the industrial management team to ensure that all health and safety assessments are scheduled and adhered to.
Having a PSR done on a pallet racking system is sort of like having a teacher inspect, examine and grading a project, but in this case the PSR is done by a Professional Engineer (P.ENG). Most importantly A PSR it is done for safety.
Basically a P.ENG has to create a report. The P.ENG will need to see the material (after installation of the storage system has been completed or on an existing system that requires an updated PSR) to make sure the structure and all necessary components are all in the correct place and installed properly, inspect for any damages, take measurements of components, determine the steel gauges and then do all the calculations to confirm maximum capacity of the system. End result is a fully detailed documented report consisting of maximum capacity ratings, a safety report with any deficiencies (if they exist) and recommendations for added protection and proper use of the system all detailed and listed on an official stamped report document stamped by a P.ENG.
If you have already obtained a PSR for an existing storage system and any of the following circumstance have happened after that PSR was performed such as adding frame repair kits, elevation changes, additions, relocations and alterations to the existing storage system, the existing PSR will be void and a new Pre-start Health and Safety Review will be required.
All PSR inspectors in Ontario are legally required to have a Certificate of Authorization from the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO). This designation certifies that the engineer is competent to work in an industrial setting and perform the tasks related to their job. Canadian Rack Technologies Inc. also has comprehensive liability insurance, which is required by the Professional Engineering Act.
PSR capacity reports are customized on a case-by-case basis. The cost depends on the layout and functionality of your facility along with the type of machinery and storage units you have. Once you provide an itemized list of the equipment to be assessed and a blueprint and photographs of your premises, we can get back to you with a quote within 24 to 48 hours. In some cases, an on-site visit may be required to provide a PSR estimate.
Canadian Rack Technologies Inc. goes above and beyond simply providing custom-designed state-of-the-art warehouse storage solutions for industrial complexes. We pride ourselves on providing excellent customer service, making appropriate racking system recommendations based on your needs, and guaranteeing the safety and cost efficiency of our warehouse equipment in Toronto. Contact us to schedule a professional pre-start safety review.