UKWA PDFS MAY - United Kingdom Warehousing Association

Warehouse 

Official Magazine of The United Kingdom Warehousing Association May 2008 Volume 17 No 5 

UKWA News 

Details of a brand 

new Conference 

Security 

Paul Burton’s 

monthly round-up 

Labour Issues 

Are you struggling to 

fill a key k 

position 

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See page 38

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Association News 3 

EDITORIAL 

Founded 1944 

The United Kingdom 

Warehousing Association, 

418-422 Strand, 

London WC2R 0PT. 

Tel: (020) 7836 5522 

Fax: (020) 7438 9379 

Web: www.ukwa.org.uk 

Mission Statement 

The UKWA provides a service 

to Logistics Service Providers 

by helping to establish a 

favourable operating 

environment, by providing a 

forum for discussion on 

non-competitive issues and by 

providing information to 

assist them in their 

businesses. 

Management Board 

Derrick Potter, Chairman 

John Batchelor 

Amanda Bennett 

Stephen Booker 

Tim Carless 

Derek Cooper 

Douglas Fearnley 

Steve Francis 

Mike Hodge 

Bernard Howard 

Julia Lucas 

John Maguire 

Duncan Pannell, Vice President 

Michael Potts 

Ken Richards, Vice President 

Ralph Richards, Vice President 

Alan Sanders, Vice President 

Iain Speak 

Charles Watt 

For details about 

advertising in Warehouse 

contact Daren Thomas on 

Tel: 0771 974 0736 

Exhibition forum 

proves a success 

Multimodal 2008 was a success for 

UKWA and I hope it was equally worthwhile 

for the thirty plus UKWA members who 

attended as exhibitors. The success criteria 

for me were different in some respects to 

member companies. I wanted a good 

presence from UKWA members; I wanted a 

forum where I could speak to potential new 

members, meet existing members, and 

have an opportunity to advertise UKWA 

events and services. I have no doubt we 

met our aims, and plans are now in place 

to host a larger UKWA pavilion at 

Multimodal 2009. 

Multimodal’s success allows me to consider 

other shows where a UKWA pavilion 

might provide UKWA members with costeffective 

exposure to potential clients. I will 

be sounding out the UKWA membership in 

the next few weeks to see the level of interest 

in taking a pavilion to other specialist 

shows within the retail , wholesale and 

manufacturing sectors, and perhaps 

abroad. 

At this time of the year, the process of 

gathering names of suitable volunteers to 

stand as candidates for next year’s 

Management Board begins. Regions meet 

to elect their own representatives on the 

Board; the Management Board itself identifies 

vacancies for Vice Presidents and for 

co-opted members, and the wider membership 

will be trawled for volunteers to serve 

as elected members. Elected members represent 

all the various categories of members. 

There are two representatives for categories 

A-C; two representatives from categories 

D-F; and two representatives from 

categories G&H. A combination of modesty 

and pressure of work prevents many talented 

members from volunteering for service 

on the Board, but I do urge you to consider 

putting your name forward, or at very least 

consider having a chat with me or current 

members of the Board to find out what it 

might entail. 

The responses to this year’s Annual 

Audit self assessment scheme are coming in 

slowly, and you will be receiving gentle 

reminders over the next month or so. As 

you will remember the scheme was introduced 

on a self assessment basis, but it has 

always been the aim of the Management 

Board to develop the scheme to a point 

where it becomes a condition of membership 

and is conducted independently. 

Towards that end we will be considering a 

number of measures to encourage members 

to complete it on time and they will be 

announced in time for the Annual General 

Meeting. 

Although the AGM attracts fewer than 

50 members each year, the event that follows 

immediately on from it attracts rather more, 

and I hope I will see you there. We are hoping 

to attract a record lunchtime audience at 

the Dorchester to what will be a very enjoyable 

networking event. If you haven’t attended 

before, please come along. 

www.ukwa.org.uk May 2008

4 Association News 

CONFERENCE 

New UKWA conference 

for warehouse owners 

and managers announced 

UKWA is pleased to 

announce that it is joining 

forces with professional 

conference organiser 

Gyros Communications 

to launch Warehousing 

Futures 2008 - a new 

conference, exhibition and 

networking event for 

warehouse owners and 

managers. 

Warehousing Futures 

2008 will take place at 

the Hilton Hotel near 

Coventry, Junction 2 of the 

M6, on Tuesday 9 

September and 

Wednesday 10 September 

2008. Full speaker 

details will be released in 

due course, but the event 

will start with a networking 

reception followed by dinner 

(plus after dinner 

speaker) on the evening of 

9 September. The following 

morning there will be 

a keynote address followed 

by a series of plenary 

sessions covering key 

strategic issues: people/ 

skills issues; effective 

materials handling solutions; 

developing ‘green’ 

warehouse projects; 

financing major warehouse 

projects; improving 

the efficiency of ware- 

May 2008 

house operations through 

information technology. 

Over lunch delegates 

will have time to visit the 

exhibition and network 

with other delegates and 

sponsors. In the afternoon 

there will be three 

sessions covering practical 

warehouse management 

issues: latest legislation; 

security; health and safety. 

“By branding the event 

Warehousing Futures, the 

As reported in last 

month’s issue of 

Warehouse, UKWA has 

joined forces with recruitment 

solutions specialists 

The BJD Group to offer 

UKWA members a host of 

personnel-related benefits. 

The BJD Group will act 

as UKWA’s recruitment 

solutions partner and will 

work with UKWA to provide 

member companies 

with a range of valuable 

services. These include: 

• Up to 20 per cent off 

recruitment fees; 

intention is to create an 

annual meeting place 

where users of warehousing 

as well as the suppliers 

of space can come 

together to discuss key 

strategic and tactical 

warehouse issues,” commentetd 

Roger Williams, 

chief executive of UKWA. 

He added: “A successful 

annual conference is 

an important fearture of 

any trade association and 

• A free recruitment audit 

and benchmarking service 

that will help members to 

review their current 

recruitment policies and 

assess their effectiveness; 

• A free salary benchmarking 

service for warehousing 

and logistics 

management positions. 

Roger Williams, chief 

executive officer of UKWA, 

commented: “The type of 

services available from 

BJD have been tailored to 

not only save UKWA 

members money but also 

www.ukwa.org.uk 

we are delighted to be 

working with Gyros 

Communications on what 

I am sure will quickly 

establish as an important 

event in the logistics 

industry’s calendar.” 

Further details regarding 

Warehousing Futures 

2008 will be announced 

in future issues of 

Warehouse and on the 

UKWA website - 


RECRUITMENT 

Members get specialist 

recruitment solutions package 

improve their efficiency by 

ensuring they make the 

most suitable appointment. 

“Access to the kind of 

value-added services such 

as the ones offered by 

BJD are among the many 

benefits that UKWA members 

receive – which is 

why our membership continues 

to grow.” 

For details of the services 

available through The BJD 

Group contact UKWA on 

tel: 0207 836 5522


MULTIMODAL 2008 

UKWA Pavilion success 

at Multimodal 2008 

The UKWA Pavilion at the 

recent Multimodal 2008 

exhibition was voted a 

success by participating 

members who took 

advantage of the opportunity 

to showcase the products 

and services that they 

offer to an audience of 

potential clients in a cost 

effective way. 

The Pavilion provided 

small booth-type stands 

around a hospitality area 

and was the perfect format 

to take leads and 

chat with prospects in a 

relaxed and informal setting 

away from the noise 

and bustle of the exhibition. 

Gary Sibley of Century 

Logistics commented: “It 

was a very useful experience. 

Before the show we 

set ourselves a target for 

the number of leads that 

we hoped to take and we 

have achieved that.” 

Richard Davies of 

4Logistics Ltd said: “The 

quality of the visitors has 

been extremely high and 

we have made some very 

interesting contacts.” 

John Maguire, sales 

and marketing director of 

associate member 

Narrow Aisle Flexi 

said: “This has been a 

useful event- both visitors 

and exhibitors are potential 

users of our articulated 

forklift trucks.” 

In all 22 stands were 

sold within the UKWA 

Pavilion and several 

other UKWA members 

exhibited within the 

main part of the show. In 

fact, over 30 UKWA members 

exhibited at 

Multimodal 2008. 

Roger Williams, 

UKWA’s chief executive 

officer, commented: “Our 

twin aims of providing a 

cost effective shop window 

for our membership and 

the Association worked 

well. This was the first 

time that Multimodal had 

been held and I think the 

event will develop from 

here. The concept is clearly 

one that people are 

interested in.” 

Plans are now forming 

for Multimodal 2009 and 

UKWA will once again take 

a Pavilion. Already nearly 

half of the available stand 

space within the UKWA 

area has been sold. 

For information on how to 

reserve space within the 

UKWA Pavilion at 

Multimodal 2009 visit 

www.multimodal.org.uk 

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS 

Membership subscriptions due 

It is the time of year form membership subscriptions to be renewed. The prices are as follows. If you 

have not already done so, please ensure that payment is made at the very earliest opportunity. 

Membership Category Area of Covered Space Annual Subscription 

A up to 50,000 sq ft £485.00 plus VAT – £569.87 

B 50,001 – 100,000 sq ft £660.00 plus VAT – £ 775.50 

C 100,001 – 200,000 sq ft £850.00 plus VAT – £ 998.75 

D 200,001 – 500,000 sq ft £1,030.00 plus VAT – £1,210.25 

E 500,001–1,000,000 sq ft £1,550.00 plus VAT – £1,821.25 

F 1,000,000 -200000sq ft £2,090.00 plus VAT – £2,455.75 



INDUSTRY TRENDS 

Members will benefit from 

3PL partnerships in the 

modern logistics industry 

UKWA chairman Derrick Potter believes that business contacts made at networking events such as 

those organised by UKWA throughout the year will play an increasingly signficant role in facilitating 

partnerships in the logistics sector 

The logistics industry is 

evolving rapidly and 

it is important that 

UKWA members spot 

emerging trends and 

develop their service 

offerings accordingly 

if they are to make the 

most of the exciting 

opportunities ahead. 

That’s the message 

from UKWA chairman, 

Derrick Potter. Derrick, the 

founder and executive 

chairman of The Potter 

Group, says: “The UK 

supply chain is changing. 

For example, many 

container terminal 

operators have woken 

up to the potential of 

widening the scope of 

their business to 

include additional logistics 

services and, as a 

result, we have seen the 

emergence of what has 

been christened ‘port-centric 

logistics’. Containers, 

which were once taken 

from a ship to an inland 

RDC where they were 

unloaded and sent back 

to the port - empty, are 

now often unloaded at the 

port and their contents 

stored at a consolidation 

centre – again at the port. 

3PLs have the potential to 

benefit from this shift in 

supply chain thinking by 

developing partnerships 

with the port operators 

who – in the main – look 

to outsource this work.” 

Of course, the port isn’t 

the final destination for 

the goods and palletised 

loads are usually forwarded 

from the port-based 

consolidation centre to the 

owner’s RDC network. 

Derrick Potter believes 

that environmental concerns 

coupled to the problems 

created by Britain’s 

over-congested motorway 

network, will invariably 

result in more and more 

goods arriving at the 

RDCs by rail. 

“The typical logistics 

model will become quite 

simple,” he says. 

“Shippers will bring containers 

in to the ports 

“Bigger 3PLs will 

increasingly look to 

outsource certain 

parts of a contract to 

smaller partners who 

provide specialist 

added value services” 

where they will be 

unloaded and stored in 

consolidation centres by 

3PLs. Increasingly, rail 

companies will then take 

palletized loads to inland 

RDCs and goods will then 

be delivered to their final 

destination in much the 

same way as they are 

today. Those 3PLs that 

have recognized the growing 

use of rail in the supply 

chain are building 

warehouses close to railway 

junctions – as 

opposed to motorway 

junctions.” 

The future will, Derrick 

suggests, bring greater 

opportunities for independent 

logistics operators 

to co-operate together 

and, he says, the 

emphasis will be on 

shared knowledge and 

shared contracts. 

“Clients want a onestop 

shop,” he says. “And 

with many demanding 

specialist added value 

services – such as returns 

management – the bigger 

May 2008 

www.ukwa.org.uk


3PLs will increasingly look 

to outsource certain parts 

of a contract to smaller 

partners who specialize in 

such areas.“ 

Derrick is convinced 

that business networking 

events such as those 

organised throughout the 

year by UKWA, will play 

an increasingly prominent 

role in facilitating partnerships 

in the logistics sector. 

“Anyone in business 

knows the value of contacts 

and occassions such 

as the regular regional 

meetings organised by 

UKWA and the upcoming 

Annual Luncheon and 

Awards for Warehousing 

Ceremony, offer fantastic 

opportunities to meet new 

business contacts, leads, 

clients, customers and 

owners or decision makers 

from many other businesses 

in the sector. 

“Of course, 3PLs with a 

need for extra storage 

space for a contract 

should always look to 

partner a UKWA member 

company,” he says. 

“UKWA members all meet 

certain quality standards 

that will give the company 

- and its client – peace of 

mind.” 

Derrick Potter continues: 

“UKWA members 

undertake an exceptional 

range of warehousing and 

added value services, 

from animal feed storage 

through bonded warehousing 

to e-fulfilment 

but, regardless of the 

areas in which they specialise, 

the Association’s 

members all share the 

determination to drive up 

professional standards in 

the warehousing sector 

that underpins UKWA’s 

activities . 

The specialised knowledge, 

flexibility and added 

value that a 3PL can 

provide, is becoming 

one of the key drivers 

behind the decision to 

award logistics contracts 

and I believe there 

LEFT: Events such 

as the upcoming 

UKWA Annual 

Luncheon and 

Awards for 

Warehousing 

ceremony, offer 

fantastic 

opportunities to 

meet new 

business 

contacts, leads, 

clients, 

customers and 

owners or 

decision makers 

from many other 

businesses in the 

sector 

is an excellent opportunity 

for UKWA members to win 

business by promoting 

and marketing their services 

within the 3PL sector 

and by entering partnerships 

with other logistics 

service providers.” 

Which Materials 

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HONORARY ADVISERS 

Make use of our 

Honorary Advisers 

UKWA Members have 

at their disposal a 

group of Honorary 

Advisers covering a 

range of specialist 

skills. Their services 

are available to all 

UKWA members and 

they can be contacted 

by telephone or email 

entirely free of 

charge. 

ANDREW LAWRENCE 

Pest Control 

RENTOKIL INITIAL UK LTD 

e: alawrence@ 

rentokilpestcontrol.co.uk 

PAUL BURTON 

Security - Personnel 

BURTON AGENCY 

t: 07802 222604 

e: pauljjburton@aol.com 

GRAHAM CAMPBELL 

Security - Property 

INITIAL ELECTRONIC 

SECURITY SYSTEMS LTD 

t: 01254 303134 

e: g.campbell@ies.uk.com 

SIMON EDWARDS 

Joint Legal 

AARON & PARTNERS LLP 

t: 01244 405555 

e: simonedwards@ 

aaronandpartners.com 

ALAN GILCHRIST 

Information 

Technology 

ONTECH SOLUTIONS 

t: 0871 2212673 

e: agilchrist@ 

ontechsolutions.net 

SUSAN GROVE 

Insurance 

WILLIS TRANSPORTATION 

RISKS LTD 

t: 020 3124 6254 

e: grovesm@willis.com 

HASSAN KHAN 

Customs & Excise 

HASSAN KHAN & CO 

t: 020 7038 1040 

e: rhk@hassan-khan 

solicitors.com 

JONATHAN LAWTON 

Joint Legal 

HILL DICKINSON 

t: 0771 5376726 

e: jlservices@eircom.net 

CHARLES PARTRIDGE 

Rates and Property 

LAMBERT SMITH 

HAMPTON 

t: 020 7198 2160 

e: cpartridge@lsh.co.uk 

NICK WRIGLEY 

Hazardous Chemical 

Storage 

t: 01244 566260 

e: nick.wrigley@ 

solvescientific.com 

BOB WILLIAMS 

Materials Handling 

LPC INTERNATIONAL LTD 

t: 01285 640038 

e:rwilliams@l 

pcinternational.com 

KEITH WYATT 

Environment 

SOMAR INTERNATIONAL 

t: 01872 223000 

e: k.wyatt@somar.co.uk 

ANNUAL LUNCH & AWARDS FOR WAREHOUSING 

The 3PL 

networking 

event of 

the year 

UKWA’s Annual Luncheon and Annual Awards for 

Warehousing Ceremony is rightly regarded as one one 

of the most enjoyable events in the the third party logistics 

industry’s annual calendar. The Luncheon which, this 

year, will be held at the Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, 

London on Wednesday 2nd July, represents an excellent 

opportunity to network with some of the most influential 

figures in the logistics and materials handling industry 

As a special occasion featuring a celebrity speaker, 

the UKWA Luncheon and Awards for Warehousing 

attracts nearly 400 UKWA members, associate members 

and their guests who all seize the chance to relax with 

colleagues or catch up with industry contacts. 

This year’s event promises to be the very best yet with 

the Dorchester Hotel providing a fittingly grand backdrop 

to the occasion. 

Superbly located in 

the heart of London's 

Mayfair on Park Lane, 

between Marble Arch 

and Hyde Park 

Corner, The 

Dorchester is, of 

course, close to exclusive London shopping in Bond 

Street and Knightsbridge and is within easy access of 

many London attractions including Buckingham Palace, 

West End theatres, the Royal Albert Hall and the 

National Gallery. 

Perhaps more importantly though is the Hotel’s close 

proximity to several excellent public houses which will 

ensure that guests will still be able to enjoy the traditional 

Luncheon revellery that has become such a feature of 

the event down the years. 

Tables of ten can be reserved at very reasonable 

prices and indeed, smaller parties can always be 

catered for. Price details and a 

SPONSORED BY 

reservation form can be found 

overleaf. We look forward to 

seeing you in July! 

May 2008 

www.ukwa.org.uk


This year’s 

guest speaker 

and cohost 

of the 

Awards for 


is Bob “the 

Cat” Bevan. 

A highly 

popular 

speaker, Bob has 

received the Reuters 

Jackie Blanchflower 

Memorial Trophy and 

the Benedictine After 

Dinner Speakers Award 

and he features in the 

Mail on Sunday After 

Dinner Speakers Hall of 

Fame. 

A member of the 

Lords Taverners, In 

1999 Bob was flown to 

Sydney to speak at a 

dinner for England 

Captain, Nasser 

Hussein. 

Awards finalists announced 

The Awards Committee – 

which, this year, comprised 

Mel Grainger, a 

former chairman of 

UKWA; Phil Culling, managing 

director of Redirack; 

and Roger Williams, chief 

executive officer of UKWA 

– has sat and, after much 

deliberation, the finalists 

have been chosen in the 

varius categories that 

make up the UKWA 

Awards for Warehousing. 

Roger Williams commented: 

“The judging 

process was tougher 

than ever this year with 

more entries of an 

extremely high calibre.” 

The shortlist is as follows: 

Training Award 

Donna Draper - iForce 

Seafiled Logistics 

Bibby Distribution 

Technology/Innovatio 

n Award 

TGW Ltd 

iForce - ReSCU 

Ceva Logistics 

Best New Member 

Premier Distributors 

Fuji Film 

Michael Brannigan 

Warehouse Person of 

the Year 

John Tombs - iForce 

Mark Rogers - Chaucer 

SPONSORED BY 

Freight Ltd 

Jonathan Smith - iForce 

Team of the Year 

SembCorp Utilities (UK) 

Bibby Distribution & 

Braitrim 

Simarco International Ltd 

In addition two further 

awards will be presented 

- the Journalist of the 

Year and the Chairman’s 

Award. The winners of 

each category will be 

announced on the 2nd 

July at the Dorechester 

Hotel. 

To reserve your place at the UKWA Annual 

Luncheon & Awards for Warehousing 

Ceremony call Jacquie Kirk on 0207 836 5522 

ALL PICS ON THIS SPREAD USED LAST MONTH 

• Capacities from 1,000 to 3,000kg 

• Pallet Trucks, Stackers, Order Pickers, 

Reach Trucks, Turret Trucks (VNA) 

• Lift heights up to 17 metres 

• AC Technology throughout 

the range 


10 Business News 

INBRIEF 

Kuehne+Nagel has 

leased approximately 

402,000 sq.ft of 

warehouse space at 

an industrial complex 

near the Port of 

Hamburg. 

ProLogis has leased 

327,000 sq.ft of distribution 

space in 

Rome to Italian 

supermarket chain, 

Coop Italia. The customer 

has leased 

100% of a recently 

completed distribution 

facility at 

ProLogis Park 

Anagni. The warehouse, 

which is 

ProLogis' first in 

Rome, was developed 

using sustainable 

construction 

principles and a 

number of energyefficient 

and environmentally 

friendly 

technologies. 

Davies Turner has 

strengthened the 

senior management 

of its subsidiary in 

Ireland with the 

appointment of 

Ciaran Delmar and 

John Culligan as joint 

managing directors 

of Davies Turner 

Ireland. 

PEOPLE 

Chief Executive of Skills 

for Logistics steps down 

Ian Hetherington, the 

chief executive of the 

Sector Skills Council 

(SSC) for the freight logistics 

industries, is to take 

early retirement in order 

to pursue other interests 

after nearly 14 years service 

with the Road Haulage 

& Distribution Training 

Council and Skills for 

Logistics (SfL). 

Ian Hetherington 

commented: “While I am 

WEBSITE 

very sad to be leaving 

Skills for Logistics, I am 

confident that the business 

is in the hands of an outstanding 

team who will 

take the SSC successfully 

through the next important 

stages of development.” 

Andrew Callaghan 

the SfL Chairman says, 

“Ian and I have worked 

closely together for the 

last five years and I would 

Crackdown on EU aid 

will boost UK rail freight 

In a statement issued at 

the end of April, the EU 

Commission made it clear 

for the first time that 

unlimited state guarantees, 

still being offered in 

some states to their 

incumbent railways, are 

clearly state aids. They 

insist that any railway 

operator in a competitive 

market should no longer 

receive support that goes 

against the spirit of the 

EU’s Rail Freight Directives 

aimed at achieving an 

open, efficient and competitive 

pan-European railfreight 

system. 

UKWA chairman, 

Derrick Potter, comments: 

“These new guidelines 

are good news for 

the UK rail freight industry 

who are fighting the 

effects of current state 

aids, be they unlimited 

financial guarantees, writing 

off debt or aid for 

restructuring. Such support 

continues to provide 

many EU state concerns 

with an unfair advantage 

over those operating in 

the private sector and 

delays the EU’s commitment 

to a level playing 

field.” 

“The UK has seen Rail 

Freight grow faster than in 

any other EU state during 

tthe past decade and our 

success is down to an 

industry that has been privatised 

for nearly 15 years 

and in which the private 

sector has invested more 

than £1.5bn, creating an 

efficient, productive and 

cost-effective system.” 

like to thank him for his 

contribution to the 

establishment of the 

Sector Skills Council 

and his role in supporting 

the Skills for 

Business Network. He 

brought a wealth of 

experience to the organisation 

and we wish him 

well for the future”. 

Dr. Mick Jackson has 

been appointed as interim 

chief executive. 

WEBSITE 

Find a 

forklift 

supplier 

The Fork Lift Truck 

Association has gone 

live with a new-look, reengineered 

website. 

“We’ve chosen a design 

whose clean-cut lines, 

dropdown menus and 

interactive features speed 

up visitors’ searches,” says 

FLTA Chief Executive David 

Ellison. 

“One of our most 

important developments 

has been the ‘find a member 

or service’ facility. We 

believe that fork lift users 

should always seek suppliers 

who are FLTA members.” 

Customers can input 

their postcode and search 

for a fork lift supplier within 

20, 40 or 60 miles of 

that location. 

May 2008 

www.ukwa.org.uk

Business News 11 

EDUCATION 

Scheme aims to attract supply chain managers 

Lifelong Learning UK, 

an independent employerled 

sector skills council, 

has launched its Make a 

Difference campaign in a 

bid to attract supply management 

professionals to 

roles within further education 

organisations. 

The programme is part 

of a series of wider initiatives 

developed to ensure 

that colleges and workbased, 

adult and community 

learning establishments 

are equipped to 

serve the needs of learners 

and businesses, in turn 

raising the skills level of 

the UK workforce. 

Natasha Tesfai, project 

manager, said: “Make a 

Difference provides participants 

with a tailored 

leadership development 

programme in their first 

year of employment and 

the opportunity to fast 

EDUCATION 

At the recent Lloyd’s 

List Awards 2008 the 

Port of Tyne was 

named Port Operator 

of the Year. 

A delighted Keith 

Wilson, Port of Tyne’s 

Managing Director 

said: “I’m not normally 

lost for words, 

but receiving this 

award has left me 

speechless with pride! 

track to a senior leadership 

role. 

“We aim to develop the 

leaders of the future who 

will utilise the skills they 

Port of the Year accolade for Port of Tyne 

have gained in their current 

employment and play 

a key role in helping their 

new employer raise the 

bar of performance.” 

Lloyd’s List is 

renowned throughout 

the world as a benchmark 

for excellence 

within the maritime 

industry. We were 

just delighted to have 

been named as one of 

the finalists, especially 

when we saw the 

very high calibre of 

the ports we were 

up against, but winning 

last night reinforced 

just how far we 

have come and how 

successful our strategy 

and reinvestment programme 

has been.” 

READ 

WAREHOUSE 

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INBRIEF 

Palletways has taken 

a minority interest in 

Lichfield-based X2, a 

4PL specialising in 

flexible distribution 

and warehousing 

solutions. X2’s clients 

include Corporate 

Express, DHL and 

TDG. 

London City Bond, 

the wine and spirits 

logistics provider, has 

opened a bonded 

warehousing operation 

at Hillington, 

near Glasgow airport. 

The 100,000 

square feet warehouse 

can store 

nearly half a million 

cases of wines and 

spirits that will be 

delivered just-in-time 

to Scotland’s major 

cities. 

NYK Logistics says 

that it is planning a 

number of port-centric 

import centres 

following considerable 

interest in its 

first UK site at 

Thamesport. Initially 

envisaged as a 

35,000 sq ft depot, 

the centre will rise to 

a total of 120,000 

sq ft by September. 

NYK say that the port 

vcentric concept will 

allow it to cut costs 

by about 10% on 

certain operations. 

EXPANSION 

New Midlands depot opens 

UKWA member Redhead 

International has 

expanded its operation 

with the recent opening of 

a new depot in Burton-on- 

Trent. 

The new depot will 

meet increased demand 

for Redhead’s international 

freight services from 

customers in the Midlands 

area, giving companies 

quicker and easier access 

to both mainland Europe 

and Ireland. The facility 

has a 3,000 pallet capacity 

and also 1,500sq 

metres of warehouse 

space. 

Redhead’s sales and 

marketing director Rob 

Thacker said: “The opening 

of our new depot in 

Burton-on-Trent forms part 

of an ongoing expansion 

programme and directly 

reflects the continued 

growth and success of 

Redhead International. 

The new facility will provide 

customers from the 

Midlands with access to 

one of the most respected 

freight management 

companies in the industry 

- one that can handle 

virtually any request 

from single pallet to full 

trailers.’ 

Redhead has appointed 

Tim Harris to head up the 

new operation. Tim has 

nearly 20 year’s experience 

working in the freight 

industry and is an 

Associate of The 

Chartered Institute of 

Freight Forwarders. 

Commenting on his 

new appointment, Tim 

Harris said: ‘I am delighted 

to have joined such a 

renowned company as 

Redhead International. 

These are exciting times 

for Redhead and I look 

forward to making a significant 

contribution to the 

company’s success in the 

Midlands.’ 

CONTRACT WIN 

End-to-end solution clinches deal 

Aerobed – the market 

leader in quality inflatable 

beds. – have awarded 

Bibby a 4 year contract 

to be based at the company's 

site in Stoke on 

Trent. 

Aerobed managing 

director, Julian Williams, 

stated: "We had quotes 

from three large logistics 

operators as well as Bibby 

Distribution, but Bibby 

demonstrated a real 

understanding of our 

business issues and were 

very proactive in suggesting 

improvements that 

could be made to the supply 

chain. One of the key 

advantages is the 'end-toend' 

solution including sea 

freight which was not part 

of our initial thinking but 

was brought to our attention 

by Bibby and has definitely 

lowered our costs 

and lowered the cycle 

time for getting goods into 

warehouse" 

"Previously the business 

had chosen logistics partners 

based on what was 

perceived to be low cost. 

However, my experience 

has been that you get 

what you pay for and 

since moving to Bibby our 

service levels have 

improved beyond recognition 

which has driven our 

internal costs down.” 

May 2008 

www.ukwa.org.uk

Brother QL Printers & P-touch 

Labellers bring affordable simplicity 

to warehouse management 

The QL-1050 prints labels and 

signs up to 102mm wide at a 

speed of 110mm/ second. 

You can now print labels and 

signs that include text, logo’s 

and barcodes quickly. 

YEAR 

WARRANTY 

For more information please visit www.brother.co.uk 

or call 0845 6060 626 quoting ref. UKW0508 

www.brother.co.uk 

Brother UK, Shepley Street, Audenshaw, Manchester, M34 5JD.


OLYMPIC GAMES 

London 2012 opportunities 

for UK logistics industry 

Businesses in the warehousing 

industry are now 

able to register on a website 

to compete for 2012 

Olympic and Paralympic 

supply chain opportunities. 

The new online service, 

called CompeteFor, 

matches businesses of all 

sizes to thousands of 

opportunities supplying 

London 2012 contractors. 

By registering businesses 

will be able to apply for 

contracts that are part of 

the estimated 75,000 

future business opportunities 

- around £6 billion of 

work expected to be allocated 

by the Olympic 

Delivery Authority (ODA) 

and London Organising 

Committee (LOCOG). 

Launched in January 

2008, CompeteFor is the 

chosen site of London 

2012 for the publication 

of Games-related contract 

opportunities. 

How CompeteFor works 

ODA and LOCOG will 

advertise their direct contract 

opportunities online 

through CompeteFor and 

direct London 2012 contractors 

appointed will be 

encouraged to advertise 

their supply chain opportunities 

through the system. 

For example the 

Olympic Stadium construction 

contractor ‘Team 

Stadium’ has used 

CompeteFor to advertise 

their site accommodation 

cleaning contract. 

Companies at every 

level of the London 2012 

supply chain will be 

encouraged to advertise 

their supplier opportunities 

through CompeteFor. 

After registering basic 

company information any 

interested business can 

view the opportunities 

advertised. Companies 

can then complete a business 

profile, which 

involves answering a 

series of simple questions, 

to be able to compete for 

opportunities. 

A company’s business 

profile is automatically 

tested against a small 

number of minimum standards 

in areas such as 

health and safety. If these 

requirements are not met 

the company is automatically 

referred to tailored, 

local business support 

provided by Business Link. 

Once a company’s 

profile is successfully published 

on CompeteFor 

they are automatically 

matched to opportunities 

which suit their business 

and invited, by email, to 

apply for them by filling 

out a short, tailored application 

form. The buyer 

advertising the contract 

then selects a shortlist of 

companies and invites 

them to formally tender 

through the buyer’s own 

procurement system. 

Details of the winning 

bidder(s) are published on 

CompeteFor and unsuccessful 

bidders receive 

feedback from the buyer. 

Throughout the process 

local business support 

agencies are on hand to 

help companies maximise 

their chances of success. 

Mike Mulvey, Chief 

Executive of the London 

Business Network, 

believes that the system 

may provide a vital link 

between the London 2012 

authorities and the warehousing 

industry. 

“CompeteFor is a unique 

tool that focuses on business 

opportunities 

throughout the supply 

chain. These are private 

sector contracts that sit 

below the top tiers, usually 

of a smaller value but 

more relevant and of 

interest to the wider business 

community. This system 

is specifically 

designed to help businesses 

of all sizes to get 

involved in a once-in-alifetime 

opportunity to 

benefit from the London 

2012 Games”. 

Registering is easy, free 

and only needs to be 

done once. Businesses are 

then automatically 

matched with relevant 

Games-related opportunities 

that you can apply for. 

Already a wide range 

of contracts have been 

made available through 

CompeteFor including 

construction, catering, 

security and printing. 

These businesses will no 

doubt be looking to fill 

their subsequent supply 

chains very soon. 

For more information 

about CompeteFor, visit 

www.london2012.com/bu 

siness and follow the link 

to CompeteFor. 

May 2008 

www.ukwa.org.uk

Zehnder Clean Air solutions 

Advertisement Feature 15 

Zehnder Clean Air Solutions is the forerunner of a 

new and innovative concept which helps eliminate 

airborne dust. These particles can come from the 

outdoor air, working staff, machines, pallets, 

cardboard, packaging and various manufacturing 

processes. The airborne dust generated by these 

activities, is not only an ongoing costly nuisance for 

cleaning, but a health and safety hazard too. 

Using the patented zehnder Flimmer ® filter, the dust is 

“filtered from the air” by thousands of fibres using the 

electrostatic principle and makes the technique 

useful in a number of different applications, such as 

Food Production, Industry, Warehouses and Package 

Handling. 

The industrial air cleaning system consists of a number 

of solutions; mobile, ceiling and rack mounted. It works 

as a cost efficient compliment to existing ventilation 

systems and continuously vacuum cleans the air before 

the dust is spread through the premises causing 

product, process or people issues. 

The zehnder Flimmer ® filtration system is 

advantageous in every respect as once the particles of 

dust have been removed from the air; the newly 

optimized clean air is beneficial for staff, machinery 

and materials. The employees feel happier at the 

workplace, are able to increase their productivity and 

the level of sickness-related absenteeism can also be 

reduced. Production machines are subject to less wear 

and tear and merchandise stays clean and visually 

attractive. Last but not least, energy costs can be 

reduced by up to 20% as the system re-circulates the 

heated or cooled air around the premises. 

Zehnder clean air solutions has proved extremely 

effective in Sweden, France, Norway, Finland, 

Germany, and Denmark, as well as key installations 

within the UK such as Dairy Crest, IKEA, Walkers 

Crisps, Cannon Confidential and Fullers. 

Contact us for a free, no obligation dust survey on 

01252 515151 or sales@zehnder.co.uk 

Cube Europa Storage has acquired over 100,000 square foot at Europa Trading Estate in 

Erith Kent which is situated a few miles from Dartford and the M2/M25 interchange. 

We have racking to hold over 10000 pallets plus floor space for further non pallet storage. 

24 hour security on site • Nationwide distribution available 

Will quote on an individual basis • Short or long term storage 

May 2008 

www.ukwa.org.uk April 2008

16 Health & Safety 

INBRIEF 

The examining body 

Edexcel has launched 

an online learning 

programme to provide 

students undertaking 

a work placement 

with the knowledge 

and understanding 

of potential 

risks and hazards in 

their workplace. 

The learner participates 

in interactive 

exercises and completes 

health and 

safety theory and self 

assessment questions. 

www.edexcel.org.uk 

HSE has launched a 

dedicated section for 

employers of new 

and expectant mothers 

on its website. 

www.hse.gov.uk/moth 

ers. It is worth noting 

that once an employer 

has been notified 

in writing of the 

pregnancy, birth or 

the fact that an 

employee is breastfeeding, 

the employer 

is under an obligation 

to do all that 

is reasonable to 

remove or prevent 

exposure to any significant 

risk that has 

been found. The 

employer should 

inform the employee 

about any risk and 

what action has been 

taken under The 

Management of 

Health and Safety at 

Work Regulations 

1999. Failure to carry 

out a risk assessment 

in respect of a pregnant 

employee is 

unlawful sex discrimination. 

HSE NEWS 

Call for top managers 

to take safety seriously 

Health and Safety 

Executive (HSE) chairman 

Judith Hackitt has 

called for top managers 

to take safety seriously. 

At a recent HSE 

'Leading from the top - 

avoiding major incidents' 

event attended by 200 

industry leaders from 

major hazards industries, 

Ms Hackitt said the initiative 

was an opportunity to 

share good practice and 

to learn from incidents 

such as those at Texas 

City, Buncefield and the 

Thorp plant in Sellafield. 

Ms Hackitt said: “We 

IN THE COURTS 

have seen similarities in 

the messages, concerns, 

challenges and problems 

discussed today. It's clear 

that there is much to be 

gained by further collaborative 

action across the 

sectors but the success of 

the day lies in what takes 

place next. If nothing 

changes as a result of the 

discussions today - it will 

be more than a pity, it 

could well be a tragedy. 

We in HSE will continue to 

give high priority in working 

with you in the major 

hazards industries but we 

are calling upon you to 

take the lead. Tell us how 

we can best support you.” 

HSE has admitted it is 

disappointed with the 

response of companies to 

its calls for voluntary 

action at boardroom level, 

including last year's joint 

Institute of Directors 

and HSE voluntary 

guide. A Select 

Committee report last 

month said there was a 

convincing case for legal 

safety duties on directors. 

Unions have called 

repeatedly for explicit 

duties on directors and 

senior managers. 

Managers fined after death 

at distribution centre 

A court has fined two contractors 

and two individuals 

after a German worker 

died at a depot in 

Worksop, 

Nottinghamshire - but a 

manager was found not 

guilty of manslaughter. 

Hans Zdolsek fell 

8.5metres while he was 

working at the Wilkinsons 

distribution centre in 

February 2004. The firm 

has used plastic tie-wraps 

to secure a guard rail. 

Main contractor 

Siemens Dematic, now 

known as Oldbury 

(Banbury), was fined 

£100,000 and ordered to 

pay £47,000 costs at 

Nottingham Crown Court. 

Racking installation contractor 

Stow (UK) was 

fined £80,000 and 

ordered to pay costs of 

£41,000. 

Meanwhile Siemens 

Dematic project manager 

David Hill was found not 

guilty of manslaughter but 

received a £2,500 fine 

with £500 costs for a 

breach of the Health and 

Safety at Work Act. The 

site's health and safety 

director 

David Hastie received 

the same penalty. He 

admitted he knew plastic 

tie-wraps were being used 

to secure guardrails but 

did nothing to intervene. 

The sentences come after 

a joint prosecution by 

Nottinghamshire Police 

and the Health and Safety 

Executive. 

May 2008 


November/December2006

Health & Safety 17 

REPORT 

Newspaper report highlights 

growing concerns over HSE 

There is growing concern 

that the Health 

and Safety Executive 

(HSE) is failing at its 

job, The Observer 

newspaper has 

reported. 

HSE has reduced 

the number of its 

inspectors by around 

25 per cent in five 

years from 916 to 680. 

Firms on average face 

an HSE inspection just 

once every 14 years. 

Meanwhile the number 

of policy officers 

the HSE employs has 

more than doubled 

from 38 to 87, the 

paper reported. 

Senior MPs are said 

to be concerned that 

the HSE last year 

underspent its budget 

by £12m and fear an 

imminent relocation 

out of London will see 

it lose valuable 

experts.. 

The Observer said 

HSE's decision to stop 

publishing its annual 

'Offences and 

Penalties' report three 

years ago has resulted 

in a paucity of information, 

its absence 

limiting the scope for 

independent analysis 

and interrogation of 

HSE enforcement 

statistics. Next 

month MP's will 

debate a private 

member's bill aiming 

to raise what 

has been described 

as the derisory level 

of fines levied on 

firms guilty of serious 

breaches. 

According to a report on 

BusinessHR’s website, 

in an attempt to cut 

the legislative burden, 

the Government is asking 

the European Commission 

to exempt UK companies 

that employ fewer than 

20 people from future EU 

regulations. 

If approved, the 

exemption would be 

included in the draft 

European Small Business 

Act. If not, the government 

is requesting that 

small companies should 

be able to take a simpler 

approach to implementing 

the regulations. 

It also wants the 

European Commission to 

let it introduce key legislation 

on only one or two 

days a year, as the UK 

does. 

BusinessHR is UKWA’s 

human resources partner. 

UKWA members can 

access a comprehensive 

human resources soultions 

package by logging 

onto the UKWA webiste - 


IN THE COURTS 

Forklift operator fined 

after driving into colleague 

A forklift truck driver has 

been prosecuted and fined 

after his carelessness could 

have resulted in the death 

of a co-worker. 

Worcester Crown Court 

heard how Gerald Wyatt, 

a fork-lift truck driver 

employed at Eardisley 

Sawmills in Herefordshire, 

had been driving a 

rough-terrain lift-truck 

loaded with a stack of 12 

modular sheds one day in 

January 2007. 

He was driving forwards, 

rather than backwards 

as should have 

been the case, and the 

load significantly 

obscured his vision, so he 

did not see the employee 

he drove into. The collision 

left the woman with a 

fractured pelvis, cuts and 

bruises. 

The court was told that 

the incident could have 

been fatal, though the 

woman has since returned 

to work. 

HSE’s investigating 

inspector Anne Robinson 

said: “It is important that 

individuals are aware that 

they, as well as their 

employer, have duties 

under the law to take reasonable 

care of the health 

and safety of others who 

may be affected by their 

acts or omissions at work. 

“Wyatt’s employer had 

employed an in-house 

forklift truck trainer and 

he had received regular 

refresher training and retesting. 

“In this case his forward 

visibility was significantly 

obscured by the 

load and he could not see 

his colleague. The 

injuries inflicted could 

have been significantly 

worse, or even fatal. 

Operators of lift trucks 

must ensure that they 

operate them in accordance 

with the training 

they have been given 

to prevent such 

tragedies”. 

Wyatt pleaded guilty to 

failing to take reasonable 

care for the safety of 

other persons under 

Section 7(!) of the HSWA 

1974, and was fined 

£1,750 with no additional 

costs. Robinson said that 

Eardisley Sawmills was 

not at fault because it had 

taken all reasonably practicable 

steps to ensure the 

safe use of lift trucks, but 

that Wyatt had ignored 

his safety training. 

Wyatt expressed great 

remorse in court for his 

part in the accident.. 

January 2007 


18 Legal 

Vikki Woodfine at Aaron & Partners LLP considers the 

implications of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate 

Homicide Act 2007 

Are you ready for 

The Act 

After more than a decade of 

Parliamentary debates and a general 

lack of political commitment, the 

Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate 

Homicide Act 2007 (“the Act”) finally made 

its way onto the statute books on 26 July 

2007 and came into force on 6 April 

2008. 

The Act creates a specific offence to 

cover organisations that kill, marking one 

of the most significant legislative changes 

to corporate responsibilities since the principles 

of the modern company were crystallised. 

In essence, the Act finally dispenses with 

the need to find a controlling or directing 

mind that is also personally guilty of 

manslaughter. Therefore, it is now possible 

to pierce the corporate veil and convict a 

large or medium sized organisation. 

The Offence 

Under the Act, an organisation will be 

guilty of an offence of corporate 

manslaughter (or corporate homicide in 

Scotland) if the way in which its activities 

are managed or organised by its “senior 

management” constitutes a “gross breach” 

of a “relevant duty of care” owed by that 

organisation and, as a result, is a substantial 

element of the cause of a person’s 

death. 

The circumstances in which an organisation 

will owe a duty of care are wide-ranging. 

“Relevant duty of care” is defined in 

the statute to mean duties owed under the 

law of negligence. 

A breach of a duty of care is described 

as “gross” if the conduct of the organisation 

fell far below what could reasonably 

be expected of it in the circumstances. It 

will fall to the jury to decide whether the 

breach should be categorised as such. The 

jury will be required to decide whether the 

organisation has failed to comply with relevant 

health and safety legislation and the 

jury may now also be entitled to consider 

the evidence to determine whether there 

were attitudes, policies, systems or accepted 

practices within the organisation that were 

likely to have encouraged any such failure 

or produced tolerance of it. 

The seriousness of the failure (i.e. the 

degree to which the Defendant failed to 

comply with the law) and the risk of death 

posed by that failure will also be examined. 

The ability for juries to assess and review 

internal practices of an organisation will 

inevitably increase the chances for a successful 

prosecution, i.e. where an organisation 

fails to enforce its policy for employees 

to wear high-visibility clothing, this can be 

taken into consideration. 

An organisation will be guilty of an 

offence under the Act only if “the way in 

which its activities are managed or organised 

by its senior management is a substantial 

element in the breach”. By “senior management”, 

the Act envisages those individuals 

who play significant roles in the making 

of decisions about how the whole, or a substantial 

part, of the organisation’s activities 

are to be managed or organised. 

The Penalties 

Once convicted, organisations can face an 

unlimited fine, which may be coupled with 

remedial and/or publicity orders. Remedial 

orders allow the Court to order that steps 

be taken to remedy the failures which are 

found to have caused or contributed to the 

death, whilst publicity orders require a convicted 

organisation to publicise details of 

the conviction along with specified particulars, 

including the amount of any fine. 

The Sentencing Advisory Panel gave 

guidance on 15 November 2007 on the 

future fining of organisations, and they 

believe that the starting point after a not 

guilty plea and trial should be: the imposition 

of a Publicity Order; and a fine of 5 

per cent of the offender’s average annual 

turnover during the three years prior to sentencing. 

The Court will then take into 

account any aggravating and mitigating 

factors, arriving at a fine that would normally 

fall within a range of 2.5 to 10 per 

cent of the average annual turnover. 

May 2008 


Legal 19 

Significant aggravating factors or previous 

convictions may take the fine beyond 

that range. Therefore, fines could potentially 

be huge and financially devastating to the 

companies involved, as the Courts will look 

at the turnover and not the profit of a company. 

But, this does equalise the punishment 

for small and large companies alike. 

The imposition of a publicity order could 

also have a huge effect on organisations, 

with companies facing damage to their reputation, 

lower share prices, higher insurance 

premiums and difficulties when tendering 

for new work. 

Implications of the Act 

The Act will undoubtedly create a fairer 

position than was previously in place, where 

only small organisations have been successfully 

prosecuted. Although the Act makes it 

easier to attach blame to organisations, it 

does not seek to prosecute individuals. 

However, directors of smaller companies 

who can be identified as the “controlling 

mind” will still be in the firing line for the 

common law offence of gross negligence 

manslaughter. 

In the case of larger companies, senior 

managers and directors may be reassured 

by the fact that they will not face individual 

prosecutions under the Act for corporate 

manslaughter even if it could be shown that 

their acts/omissions contributed to the relevant 

failures that led to death. However, 

they will not escape prosecution altogether, 

as individual failings revealed during the 

corporate manslaughter investigation may 

lead to prosecutions of the relevant individuals 

under Health and Safety legislation or 

for the common law offence of gross negligence 

manslaughter. 

Over the coming months it is crucial that 

businesses look at their health and safety 

compliance systems and ensure that their 

systems, activities and general attitudes 

towards health and safety are 

correct, up-to-date and enforced. You 

need to ask yourself, would your business 

currently withstand a HSE investigation 

and sustained probing by a 

legal prosecution team if one of your 

employees suffered a fatal accident 

Should you require any further advice on the 

new regime, please contact Vikki Woodfine 

at Aaron & Partners LLP on 01244 405554. 

Although it is too early to tell how aggressively the 

authorities will pursue actions for corporate manslaughter, 

director and officer liability insurance policies should be 

reviewed to ensure that adequate cover is in place 

Policy review 

Director and officer liability insurance 

(“D & O insurance”) provides personal 

cover for directors and other executives 

for losses resulting from claims 

made against them by third parties, 

writes Aaron & Partners’ Julie 

Keir. 

With the dawn of the new 

Companies Act 2006, the Corporate 

Manslaughter and Corporate 

Homicide Act 2007 and the continued 

development of blame culture in the 

UK, the regulatory burden on companies 

is mounting. It therefore follows 

that there is an ever increasing possibility 

that directors or senior employees 

may be held personally responsible 

for regulatory breaches i.e. they 

can no longer hide behind the corporate 

veil. 

The Companies Act 2006 has codified 

many of the common law and 

equitable duties owed by directors 

and company officers. General duties 

such as the duty to promote the companies 

success and the duty to exercise 

reasonable care, skill and diligence 

now apply to all directors, 

including “de facto” directors and 

shadow directors. 

Although the legislation is still in 

its infancy, it is anticipated that the 

biggest rise in claims brought under 

the 2006 Act will be derivative actions 

brought by shareholders against 

directors and company officers. As a 

director’s general duties are owed to 

the company, it is the company alone 

which has the right to enforce those 

duties. Of course, persuading the 

directors to sanction action against 

themselves is easier said than done. 

However, under the 2006 Act, the 

company’s shareholders can bring an 

action on the company’s behalf 

against a director for an actual or 

proposed act or omission involving 

negligence, default, breach of duty or 

breach of trust. The action can be 

brought against the director for 

breach of duty regardless of whether 

or not that director has received any 

personal benefit from the breach. 

Given the potential financial consequences 

of a claim brought against 

the directors of a company under the 

2006 Act, the D & O insurance policy 

wording will need to be considered to 

make sure that it covers the new 

requirement to promote the success of 

a company and the extension of 

directors’ duties. 

The Corporate Manslaughter and 

Corporate Homicide Act 2007 does 

not bring any new personal criminal 

liability on directors, but it does 

means that an organisation can now 

be convicted for corporate 

manslaughter under statute. 

Previously, the standard wording in a 

D & O policy limited cover for a director 

or senior officer of a company to 

legal action for management failings 

leading to the death of an individual. 

Consequently, it would be advantageous 

for a company to review its 

policies to ensure that it has sufficient 

cover in place in the event of a 

prosecution against it under the 

2007 Act. It remains open for 

directors to still be prosecuted 

personally for gross negligence 

manslaughter at common law if 

there is sufficient evidence to 

support such a case. The increased 

investigation activities that are likely 

under the 2007 Act could easily lead 

to an increase in such prosecutions. 

Although it is too early to tell how 

aggressively the authorities will pursue 

actions for corporate manslaughter, 

D & O policies should be reviewed 

to ensure that adequate cover is in 

place to take account of the potential 

increased risk from legal action . 

Julie Keir can be contacted on 

01244 405532 


20 Legal 

Monica Kohli of Prettys Solicitors considers Liens and how they are used in the transport industry 

Holding something back 

absorbing 

Alien is a right derived from common 

law, statute or contract for a person to 

retain goods, which are rightfully and 

continuously in his possession but which 

belong to another, until the debts due to 

the person in possession are satisfied. It is 

a very specific type of security interest, 

being a passive right to retain (but not sell) 

property until the debt or other obligation is 

discharged. A Lien is a defence and costs 

of maintaining a lien cannot generally be 

claimed. 

The essential elements required to exercise 

a lien are rightful and continuous possession 

of the goods and a debt being due 

to the person exercising the lien. 

There are various different tyes of lien. 

They can be categorised as legal, equitable, 

statutory or contractual. They may 

also be general or particular, i.e. to money 

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owed generally or to monies owed for those 

particular goods. 

Maritime liens are another type of lien, 

which are peculiar to Admiralty law and 

provide the person who is owed the money 

a privileged claim over the property which is 

often given priority by statute, even over all 

types of registered security interests. It is 

often invisible and floats with the vessel. 

Possession is not necessary in this case. 

In common law the character of a lien is 

defensive and one has no right to sell the 

goods. The court may, in its discretion, order 

sale of the goods if they are perishable. 

However in the transport industry, contracts 

almost always provide a power of sale to 

the holder of the lien. 

Almost all standard transport contracts 

provide for lien as it is the best security for 

monies due. The main transport clauses 

relating to lien are detailed here. 

Clause 6 of the United Kingdon 

Warehousing Association Conditions of 

Contract , for example, provides for the 

company to exercise a lien. 

There are various complications and risks 

in excercising a lien. The main risk will be 

that there may be no entitlement to exercise 

the lien, and this may expose the party exercising 

the lien to action for damages/conversion 

and wrongful interference with the 

goods. Insolvency creates additional complications 

on the exercise of a lien, as the 

situation differs before and after the 

appointment of an adminstrator. This could 

lead to additional risks on the exercise of 

the lien. 

It is therefore essential to be cautious 

when exercising a lien and to observe all 

requirements of the contractal lien clause. 

Exercise of a lien is a two edged sword and 

while correctly used could be a formidable 

weapon in ensuring sums due from parties 

are paid up. If not correctly exercised, it 

could expose the party to a claim in damages. 

It is preferable to take legal advice at 

the outset before purporting to exercise a 

lien. 

www.prettys.co.uk 

May 2008 


Case Study 21 

Delivering the drinks 

A fleet of eight Aisle-Master articulated 

forklifts ensure a streamlined handling, 

storage and distribution process. at 

Magners Cider’s site in Co. Tipperary 

Ever increasing demand for one of 

Ireland’s most popular liquid refreshments, 

Magners Cider, has led to rapid 

expansion of the company’s Clonmel site in 

Co. Tipperary. Keeping the supplies flowing 

is crucial, and Magners has chosen a fleet 

of eight Aisle-Master articulated forklifts 

which work in the bottling plants as well as 

in the finished goods warehouses to ensure 

a streamlined handling, storage and distribution 

process. 

Until a few years ago, counterbalance 

forklifts and drive-in racking were used, but 

the massive increase in popularity of the 

Magners brand around the world and the 

resulting increase in output meant that 

Logistics Operations Manager Raymond 

Galligan needed to rethink operations to 

come up with a much more space saving 

and efficient method. He explains: “We had 

to maximise our warehouse space. Aisle 

widths with the counterbalance forklifts were 

4m, and we knew we could improve on 

this. By introducing a combination of a new 

warehouse management system, the Aisle- 

Master forklifts, racking and much narrower 

narrow aisle widths designed around the 

trucks capabilities, we have vastly improved 

storage density and product location. The 

Aisle-Masters have enabled us to achieve a 

50% increase in storage capacity, so have 

saved us money as there is no need to buy 

extra storage space.” 

The versatility of the articulated trucks 

means that they are used throughout the 

complete handling process, from unloading 

pallets of empty bottles through to reloading 

80 to 100 lorry loads a day with pallets 

of filled bottles for distribution to markets 

around the world. Five trucks with 10.5m 

masts are designated for the three bottling 

plants, which can each fill 55,000 bottles 

an hour. These trucks are fitted with cam- 

The versatility 

of the 

articulated 

trucks means 

that they are 

used throughout 

the complete 

handling 

process 

eras to aid drivers when picking from the 

very high racks. The other three Aisle- 

Masters with 8.5m masts work across the 3 

warehouses which have a total of 28,000 

pallet spaces. With such a workload, it is 

vital that Magners can count on reliable 

operation. 

Compared to the old counterbalance 

trucks, the Aisle-Masters have brought a 

host of advantages to both drivers and 

management at the plant. Drivers find loading 

and offloading easier, and they appreciate 

the extra comfort offered by the closed 

cab option taken up by Magners which protects 

them from the assortment of weather 

they have to cope with in this part of 

Ireland. The versatility and manoeuvrability 

of the trucks has also led to significantly less 

damage to product and quicker operations 

overall as no double handling is involved. 

The system in place is now more than ready 

to take on the demands of a thirsty clientele 

in Magners growing markets. 

www.aisle-master.com 


22 Security 

Paul Burton, UKWA’s honorary adviser on security matters, continues his series 

of thoughts on security issues that impact on the warehousing and logistics sectors 

Misleading statements 

I am just reading an undercover report 

from Derbyshire, which tells me of an 

Eastern European gang heavily involved in 

theft from warehouses and HGVs. On our 

last undercover job in Worcestershire, all 

the staff in the warehouse had English as 

their second language and they were ‘bang 

at it’ – to use a Police expression. 

Interesting then that two Senior Chief 

Constables – presumably anxious for the 

‘Big Job’ in the Met – recently announced 

that the influx of immigrants into our country 

has apparently not affected our crime 

figures! 

It seems to me that these comments are 

ill-informed and harmful because they are 

so at odds with what we see every day. 

Under no circumstances must we be hoodwinked 

into believing that immigrants are 

any more or less honest than the indigenous 

population - although having worked 

behind the old ‘iron curtain’ I can tell you 

that, in my experience, anyone from an excommunist 

country is likely to have a totally 

different attitude to stealing. Many Eastern 

European workers now employed in the UK 

will have grown up in a society were stealing 

was, if not expected, certainly tolerated 

and everyone took goods home from work 

if they possibly could to try to make a difference 

to their lives. 

To the South Midlands to do a survey on 

a huge warehouse. The company stocks 

highly expensive goods, which are well 

sought after by the public, and thieves 

alike. 20 of these items can be put into a 

matchbox and sold for £4 per item. They 

are a general logistics company and they 

are at pains to tell me that they have a special 

consignment worth millions of pounds 

being brought in by one lorry each week 

from the docks. 

Interestingly, in order to confuse the 

criminals, the lorry does not have the company’s 

name or livery on the side (it’s the 

only one in the fleet not to do so). Senior 

management at the company believe this 

little tactic will be enough to throw any 

gang of organised criminal hi-jackers off 

the scent - although deliveries come in at 

the same time, on the same route, each 

week. 

On arrival at the company, I am surprised 

to see that they employ ‘Superman & 

Co’ to guard the gate. 

Struggling with his English (and no doubt 

his bowels) the lone guard opens his gate 

some 800 times per 12-hour shift, and 

searches some 400 people as they leave 

the warehouse – men, women and anyone 

else who passes through. Warehouse staff 

are allowed to bring their cars on site as 

the local authority has surrounded the facility 

with double yellow lines. 

I meet the facilities manager, whose 

office smells of inexpensive toilet rolls and 

Jeyes fluid. On his desk is a television, 

which monitors the cameras that the superguard 

in the hut looks at in his spare time. I 

ask the facilities manager how he came to 

get his job and he replied that he was 

offered the role after he had fallen off of a 

lorry and damaged his back during his previous 

incarnation as a driver for the company. 

After a long conversation with this man I 

realised that his approach to security – 

which involved alerting the staff two days 

before locker searches were to be conducted 

– missed the point a little. He could not 

see the significance of allowing cars on site 

and when I queried what happened when 

the guard wanted to eat or perform his nat- 

May 2008 



Security Security 23 

ural ablutions, he scratched his head and 

replied that he didn’t know because it was 

nothing to do with him! 

I recently attended a tribunal in 

London where an in-house security guard, 

who also doubled up as the maintenance 

man, was subject to scrutiny. At Christmas, 

he had received five bottles of Malt Whisky 

from the cleaning company that looked 

after his buildings. Abnormal amounts of 

cleaning fluids, toilet rolls, soaps and brassos, 

etc were being used. When interviewed, 

our security guard also admitted 

that the boss of the cleaning company had 

given him a set of second-hand kitchen 

units worth £700. The boss also allowed 

him to drive his vintage Jaguar at weekends. 

He was dismissed for gross unprofessional 

conduct and he appealed for unfair 

dismissal on the grounds that he hadn’t 

done anything wrong. Cleaning material 

costs at his former employers had halved 

since he had gone! 

Finally, a list of things to consider at this 

time of year: 

• With the summer holidays approaching 

re-issue memos to staff with reference to 

children and unauthorised passengers in 

Company vehicles. 

• Check all driving licenses to ensure our 

gallant Police Forces’ safety cameras have 

not disqualified your drivers. 

• In-house theft rises in July & August, so 

please ensure that management is not too 

depleted during the holiday season. 

“In order to confuse the 

criminals, the lorry does 

not have the 

company’s name or livery 

on the side. Senior management 

at the company believe this little 

tactic will be enough to throw any 

gang of organised criminal 

hijackers off the scent - although 

deliveries come in at the same 

time, on the same route, 

each week” 

January 2007 

Robert Camplejohn, managing director of Green Tree 

(Warehousing) Ltd, expalins how his company has been the 

innocent victim of an internet ‘spamming’ campaign 

Not so wonderful Spam 

Our legitimate company website (www.greentree.uk.com) 

has been illegally copied by fraudsters who are using it in 

a mass ‘spamming’ scam campaign. 

In simple terms, organised criminals have cloned our 

website and registered dozens of similar domain names to 

our legitimate site - for instance gretrw.com, 

greentwg.com, greentwi.net etc etc. 

A ‘vacancy’ page has been incorporated on the cloned 

sites with several fictitious jobs on offer. The jobs shown 

are usually very tempting - allowing the applicant the 

chance to work from home for very little time for a considerable 

amount of money and often come with added 

sweeteners such as the chance to join a company pension 

scheme. 

Anyone tempted to ‘click’ on the ‘job’ offer online opens 

the door to malicious spyware/software that - among 

things - allows the user’s bank account details to be 

accessed. 

To make matters worse, the specialist recruitment site 

monster.com has been a victim of the same fraud. As a 

result, spam email apparently (but, of course, certainly 

not) from monster.com has been sent to many thousands 

of people inviting them to apply for the vacancies on our 

cloned site. Some people are reputed to be receiving up 

to 40 spam e-mails per day and are angry with ourselves 

and monster.com - although we are both innocent victims 

too. 

Surprisingly, and depressingly, it seems that our local 

Police cannot do a thing unless someone in our area has 

actually had money taken from their bank account illegally. 

I am told that it is likely that my company has been 

targetted by the fraudsters because of a successful marketing 

campaign that established our website high in the 

Google rankings - and therefore attracted the criminals to 

us. All this good marketing work has now come undone 

as Google does not take kindly to replication (ie, the 

copied sites) and our rankings have subsequently tumbled. 

In addition, having our company’s name associated 

with this crime is not helpful. 

The cost of dealing with the business to us has, so far, 

been notable – the sheer time factor alone in dealing with 

calls from many of the people who have received spam e- 

mail has been enormous. 

It is unlikely that we will ever be able to truly quantify 

how much this will have harmed our business and what 

Continued on page 24 


24 Security 

We have placed 

a ‘Fraud Alert’ 

warning in bold 

red text on the 

home page of 

our genuine 

company 

website – 

partially in an 

attempt to clear 

our good name 

but to explain to 

those receiving 

the fraudulent 

scam spam that 

it really is 

nothing to do 

with us 

Continued from page 23 

kind of an audience this negative 

publicity has reached, but I think the 

problem has been so serious and 

time consuming that, were it not for 

the fact that some relatively stable 

contracts are already in place, our 

very existence as a company 

would now be severely in 

doubt. 

We have placed a ‘Fraud 

Alert’ warning in bold red 

text on the home page of our 

genuine company website – 

partially in an attempt to clear our 

good name but to explain to those 

receiving the fraudulent scam spam 

that it really is nothing to do with us. 

The internet is becoming a risky 

and uncertain place to be - and, as 

we have discovered, in cyberspace, 

what you see is not what you get. 

Web site users today should never 

respond to emails or other invitations 

offering the opportunity to earn 

money by processing funds on behalf 

of another party. Anyone invited to 

forward funds should follow the 

advice of the Metropolitan Police 

which is given on their website 

(http://www.met.police.uk/fraudalert/money_transfer.htm 

) 

Trying to find the perpetrators of 

the scam that we have been the victim 

of would keep Hercule 

Poirot busy for months, but 

Green Tree Warehousing has 

been extremely fortunate to 

have received co-operation 

from major companies and 

Internet security specialists 

that have analysed the source of this 

fraud and helped us to weather the 

storm. Fortunately the level of activity 

is diminishing, and we're very grateful 

to everyone for their support. We 

assure all customers that it's business 

as usual! 

Anyone interested in discovering more 

about the particular form of internet 

scam that Green Tree has fallen foul 

of should visit the internet fraud 

advice site www.bobbear.co.uk 

SSI Schaefer Designs the Perfect Stores System for Eurostar 

SSI Schaefer designed, supplied and installed a total stores 

system for Eurostar (UK) Ltd at its new Engineering Centre 

Temple Mills in London, located near Stratford in East 

London. 

Following a very thorough tendering process with 

exacting specifications from Eurostar that included requirements 

for heavy duty racking and shelving, high beam, 

high shelf and high bay loads plus bespoke rack designs 

to suit certain spare parts, SSI Schaefer was awarded the 

contract and work began. 

A spokesperson for SSI Schaefer, said: “We were 

confident in our ability to provide Eurostar with an 

innovative, efficiently running Engineering Centre on-time 

and within budget and winning the contract to work with 

such a high profile company was a proud moment for SSI 

Schaefer.” 

The multi-product storage system includes the main 

engineering store for the site and various ancillary locations 

throughout the site. The building, which is in excess 

of 400 metres in length, now includes products such as 

Schaefer’s PR600 pallet racking, Regal 7000 high bay 

shelving, cantilever racking, mesh cages and mezzanine 

floors. 

The small parts shelving was installed in two blocks, 

one at eight metres high accessed by high level order 

picking trucks and the other at five point five metres high, 

also accessed by high level order picking trucks but with 

the addition of an over-sailing mezzanine floor and shelving 

mounted on the floor. SSI Schaefer was able to meet 

the high shelf and bay loads required by using the Regal 

7000 shelving system. 

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE 

Using the PR600 pallet racking system, SSI Schaefer 

was able to provide Eurostar with 25 tonne bay loads 

together with specialist design features to suit both the 

building and train parts. Specialist racks were installed for 

storing train panels, for example, doors, which involved 

some novel design solutions which, once again, SSI 

Schaefer was able to meet and exceed. 

Kris Christaki, Infrastructure Engineer, Eurostar, said: 

“We are delighted with the new engineering centre at 

Leyton, London. A first class and versatile storage 

facility for Eurostar to a high standard has been installed. 

Changes were dealt with efficiently and 

quickly during the design and installation phase of the 

project. SSI safety standards were found to be extremely 

high and all our concerns were dealt with quickly. SSI 

Schaefer worked within our budget and finished the development 

in time for the grand opening.” 

A close relationship was paramount throughout the 

whole project between SSI Schaefer and Eurostar’s infrastructure 

engineers to ensure that the works were completed 

in-time for the official opening of the Eurostar 

Engineering Centre Temple Mills by Tom Harris MP, the 

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport. The 

opening went as planned ahead of the date when trains 

started using the new high speed rail link into St Pancras 

Station and the whole site went live for the maintenance of 

Eurostar’s fleet of trains. 

For further information: SSI Schaefer – 01264 386600 

Email: solutions@ssi-schaefer.co.uk 

Web: www.ssi-schaefer.co,uk 

May 2008 

www.ukwa.org.uk

Fact: Out of 56 countries 

surveyed the UK had the highest 

prevalence of severe wheezing in 

13 to 14 year olds.* 

STILL RX 70 – emit fewer emissions. 

Clean air is essential to your health, your children’s health and the health of the 

environment. The new STILL RX 70 uses less fuel than any other forklift truck in the 

world** and because it uses less fuel, it emits fewer emissions! What’s more, 

order a new RX 70 before 2009 and we’ll offset its carbon emissions for the first year. 

For further information on the RX 70 please visit: www.still.co.uk 

Freephone: 0800 378 875 

*source: 2002 Asthma Audit by the National Asthma Campaign. Visit 

www.asthma-uk.co.uk for more details. 

** the RX 70-25 diesel uses just 2.5 l/hr in accordance with VDI 2198 new. Achieve more.

26 Environment 

While the topic of greening supply chains has been a hot topic for several years, many companies 

involved in shipping and freight forwarding in today’s dynamic global economy are overlooking many 

obvious and cost-efficient ways they can reduce the industry’s carbon footprint says Melinda 

Elmowy, marketing director of CargoWise edi 

Greening 

the supply chain 

Arecent Eye for Transport study was 

conducted that surveyed more than 

250 supply chain executives to determine 

their views on greening. Nine per cent 

identified green issues as their No.1 priority 

over the next three years, while nearly 70 

PERCENT said green issues would become 

more important to their processes over that 

time. The survey found greening to be “fundamentally 

a co-operative process,” with 

most of the successful programmes based 

on “changing relationships with suppliers, 

partners and logistics providers.” Indeed, 

28 per cent of respondents said they currently 

partner, or plan to partner, with their 

logistics partners to help green their 

processes. 

With the new technologies available to 

logistics providers today, there are few disciplines 

that lend themselves to the “greening 

of the environment” as well as transportation 

and logistics. Shipping and distribution 

services account for three-fourths of a company's 

carbon footprint, the measurement 

of the impact human activities have on the 

environment as determined by the amount 

of carbon dioxide produced by greenhouse 

gas emissions. There is no reason the logistics 

industry can’t do more to solve this 

problem. 

CargoWise edi has been facilitating customers’ 

green initiatives for years with its 

ediEnterprise integrated software system that 

provides a paperless approach to forwarders’ 

supply chain operations, reducing the paper 

trail and facilitating the push to a paper free 

office. When discussing carbon-neutral initiatives 

companies can implement to help green 

supply chains, they should be more than just 

talking about reducing fuel emissions. 

May 2008 


Environment 27 

Many of the “cradle-to-grave” initiatives 

companies can institute for a greener environment 

simply involve eliminating waste 

while improving productivity. In the air 

cargo industry alone, we could fill about 40 

Boeing 747 freightliners each year with 

paper wasted on documentation, not to 

mention the labour hours necessary to produce 

and handle it all. Yet, we continue to 

see companies that are not taking advantage 

of the available automation that would 

save both the environment and logistics 

costs. The paperless office has not arrived; 

but it is possible. 

CargoWise suggests five critical areas 

that would enable companies to automate 

documentation to “green the global supply 

chain” while creating greater efficiencies 

and reducing overall operational costs. 

• Automate Documentation to Reduce Your 

Paper Trail. Too many companies still use 

paper documentation, which not only creates 

waste, but places limitations on the 

work process by placing it in the hands of 

whichever employee holds the paper 

copies, by switching to a quick and easy 

electronic system, all necessary process 

documentation is always available to any 

staff member who requires access to the 

files. Electronic documentation also vastly 

reduces the amount of unnecessary paperwork 

throughout the supply chain process. 

• Create a Centralised Repository for 

Documentation. Regardless of your documentation 

process, establishing an automated, 

centralised database repository for 

all job, client, sales and staff related documents 

in an electronic format will vastly 

increase efficiency and productivity, while 

facilitating the push toward a paperless 

office environment. The storage and centralisation 

of documents greatly simplifies 

the ability of staff to access the central 

database electronically to update, send and 

store documents such as bills of lading, 

commercial invoices, packing lists and other 

pertinent data as it moves through the supply 

chain. 

• Integrate Your Route Optimisation and 

Consolidation Process. The key to creating 

a greener supply chain lies in the integration 

of all documentation between you and 

your customers via an integrated electronic 

data management system that permits 

automatic access to files as they move 

through the supply chain. These documents 

In Association with 

can be automatically attached with email 

invoices, scanned directly into files, automatically 

allocated by type and reference 

via barcode dividers and accessed by all 

trading partners via your web site. The 

ediEnterprise system effectively supports a 

forwarder’s route optimisation and consolidation 

processes, which means less carbon 

dioxide is generated for a lower carbon 

footprint. 

• Create an Automated Storage and 

Archive System. It is important to create a 

central storage and archive system for electronic 

documents that can accessed by your 

staff and customers at any time for reference. 

Maintaining files in an automated 

archive vastly reduces the amount of paperwork 

involved in supply chain management 

process over a long period of time, reduces 

the need for filing cabinets and frees up 

important floor space. A documentation 

module such as that found in CargoWise 

ediEnterprise will enable you to document 

your electronic files, as well as store them 

for future access. 

• Improve ROI by Greening Supply Chain 

Activities. Greening your supply chain can 

be accomplished with a minimum of capital 

investment and can improve the ROI of 

your customers, vendors and company. 

New e-documentation technology makes 

your forwarding operation more efficient in 

many ways, creating fewer costs with a 

greater impact on the greening of the supply 

chain. 

Automating a robust integrated documentation 

and storage process with the new 

technologies available just makes sense if 

we are to create a more paperless environment 

and reduce the amount of greenhouse 

gases associated with global supply 

chain process. The time to implement these 

changes in your operating procedures is 

now. Not only will an integrated and automated 

e-documentation system increase 

productivity and help eliminate many of the 

environmental problems we have throughout 

global supply chains; but it will cost less 

to accomplish now before new governmental 

regulations come into play. 

CargoWise edi, is a leading provider of 

supply chain management software and 

logistics software to 1,300 clients in 45 

countries. The company maintains offices in 

Europe,the US and Australasia. 

Making 

light work 

Lighting can 

account for 50 - 

60 per cent of 

the electrical 

energy costs of 

warehouses and 

distribution 

centres. Somar 

has now 

introduced an 

intelligent 

lighting fixture 

which can 

deliver savings 

in the region of 

70 per cent. 

Not only is this 

a highly efficient 

luminaire, 

it also takes 

account of the 

fact that at most 

times, lighting 

is left on in all 

areas of a 

warehouse even 

when no one is 

working there. 

Additionally, in 

many 

warehouses 

although natural 

light is present 

through 

roof lights, 

lights are often 

fully on. 

Powerboss 

Eluma 

intelligently 

senses 

occupancy in 

each area 

and/or the 

change in 

natural light 

and adjusts the 

light level and 

electrical energy 

usage 

accordingly. 

www.somar.co.uk 

www.ukwa.org.uk may 2008

28 Marketing 

Networking 

for business 

Smart business owners know that success is not simply the result of hard work and a great range of 

products and services. Communicating to your target audiences is absolutely vital and business 

networking events represent a great opportunity to meet potential customers, says Dee Blick 

If you have heard of "business networking" 

before, it may have left you confused 

as to what it really means. In a nutshell, 

it usually entails a group of motivated business 

people getting together regularly. 

Instead of social chitchat, they find out what 

each person does and they try to help by 

recommending potential customers through 

word-of-mouth. It's not rocket science is it 

That said business networking could be one 

of the most powerful and direct ways to 

promote and grow your business. 

These few tips should get you started: 

1. Using Google, search for “ business networking" 

in the county you live in. This 

should bring up the different groups in your 

area. Check out each website and decide 

on three or four that you would like to try. 

You can also contact your local Chamber of 

Commerce and Business Link. Find out if 

there is a BNI networking chapter in your 

area. BNI stands for Business Network 

International and it is one of the most successful 

business networking organisations in 

the world and it's well worth a visit to your 

local chapter. BNI is the only networking 

group that I have ever paid to join! 

2. Time for action! You attend your first 

networking event. Don't worry that you may 

be the only new person there. The chances 

are you’ll get a warm reception. Resist the 

temptation to join the first networking 

organisation that you visit, regardless of 

that warm reception. Try at least three 

May 2008 



Marketing 29 

more and make sure that your decision is a 

hard-nosed business one. At the end of the 

day it’s important that you join a group that 

you believe will help you build your business 

in the medium to long-term. 

3. Many business-networking groups organise 

a regular Visitors Day to help boost the 

numbers. Don't sign up to a group if your 

first visit is on Visitors’ Day. They don’t 

always give an accurate picture of how 

many actual paying members belong to the 

group. Book in a follow-up visit and see 

how many paying members there are. 

4. If the networking organisation you're 

keen to join charges an upfront membership 

fee and a weekly fee to cover breakfast, 

then you must be confident that the 

existing members can recommend you to 

their wider pool of contacts. So, find out 

what each member does before you decide 

to join. Can your competitors also join or 

can only one of each type of business join 

The more successful networking organisations 

have strict rules about this, whilst others 

are more relaxed. Do you really want to 

be having breakfast every week with a competitor 

where you could both be vying for 

the same business 

5. Find out what is expected of you as a 

member beyond simply turning up. For 

example, are you expected to attend every 

single week and if you can't, do you have to 

find a stand in It may seem tough having 

these rules, but in my experience the networking 

groups that are run along these 

lines tend to be the ones that members gain 

the most business from. They take the 

whole process seriously. They are there to 

give business and gain business. That 

requires commitment. 

6. Make sure that you add up the full costs 

of membership, including joining fees, 

weekly fees, parking fees and petrol. If 

you've selected the right networking group 

for your business, the chances are that 

you’ll easily recoup your costs. However, it is 

always a good idea to evaluate exactly what 

you are getting from your business-networking 

group every quarter. You should be 

making a healthy profit and receiving good 

quality recommendations. If you are not, it 

could be time to change your approach or 

change your group. 

7. Don't join one fee paying networking 

group and simply leave it at that. Your local 

Chamber of Commerce and Federation of 

Network with leading 3PL executives 

UKWA members have an excellent opportunity to network 

with some of the most influential figures in the 

logistics and materials handling industry at the forthcoming 

UKWA Annual Luncheon and Annual Awards for 

Warehousing Ceremony. Rightly regarded as one one of 

the most enjoyable events in the the third party logistics 

industry’s annual calendar, the Luncheon takes place at 

the Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, London on Wednesday 

2nd July. 

This year’s event promises to be the very best yet with 

the Dorchester Hotel providing a fittingly grand backdrop 

to the occasion. Superbly located in the heart of 

London's Mayfair on Park Lane, between Marble Arch 

and Hyde Park Corner, 

Price details and a reservation form can be found on 

the UKWA website - www.ukwa.org.uk. We look forward 

to seeing you in July! 

Small Business may run occasional breakfast, 

lunchtime and evening networking 

events that are worth you attending. Put 

those dates in your diary! Once you start 

networking, you will be amazed at how 

many other networking events that you suddenly 

become aware of and that you get 

invited to. It can be tempting in the early 

days to attend every single networking event 

going, so make sure that you weigh up the 

benefits of attending each one beforehand 

and the impact on your business. 

One final thought. It's worth taking on 

board the fact that the people who are successful 

at networking tend to be as interested 

in other business people as they are in 

talking about themselves. If you approach 

networking in a spirit of generosity, you will 

reap the rewards. Talking about yourself 

continuously and showing scant regard for 

the people you are talking to, will not create 

the right impression. Genuine two-way 

enthusiasm and a commitment to finding 

business for your fellow networkers will pay 

for itself many times over. This is most certainly 

my experience and that of other successful 

networkers that I know. 

Good luck! 

About the Author: Dee Blick is an awardwinning 

business copywriter and she writes 

for several business trade magazines and 

journals. Based in Sussex, Dee is a 

Chartered Marketer with her own business, 

The Marketing Gym Ltd 


30 Employment Issues 

Employers are struggling to find and employ talented supply chain and logistics professionals , says 

Barrie Dowsett, managing director of supply chain and logistics recruitment specialists, The BJD Group 

Getting the best 

for your business 

The rewards for employing top talent 

are well recognised. Extensive research 

confirms that high performing organisations 

achieve competitive advantage by 

having superior talent. So why can’t we 

simply identify the characteristics of the very 

best talent for our business and then recruit 

them 

The answer lies in today’s marketplace 

and how it has changed. No longer can we 

produce idyllic job and person specifications 

with affordable remuneration packages 

that will always result in a successful 

appointment. 

So what has changed Unlike the classical 

management areas such as finance, 

operations and marketing, careers in supply 

chain and logistics are relatively new. A few 

years ago many of the management and 

specialist roles we require today didn’t exist 

and much of the top talent leaving education 

has, until recently, not recognised supply 

chain and logistics as areas providing 

extraordinary career prospects. Even today 

supply chain and logistics remain some way 

down the agenda of career paths for most 

university leavers. 

The hunt to recruit top people in the 

logistics arena has not been helped by 

changing demographics. The pendulum 

has swung from a surplus of ambitious 

people and a shortage of good career 

opportunities and, whereas previous generations 

would fight over good jobs with 

great employers and competition for promotion 

and progression was strong, in 

today’s job market demand for great people 

has outstripped supply. 

To attract the right people many organisations 

are increasingly developing creative 

employer brands, talent acquisition strategies 

and retention plans. It’s now more 

common to see employee engagement initiatives, 

flexible benefits and work/life balance 

options offered to staff at all levels. 

However, despite their talent acquisition 

strategies and offers of impressive employee 

incentive packages many companies still 

fail to attract the right person to fill a key 

vacancy. Some of the most common rea- 

UKWA members get personnel services from BJD 

UKWA has joined forces with The BJD Group to 

offer members a host of personnel-related 

benefits, including: 

• Up to a 20 per cent reduction on recruitment 

fees; 

• Free enhanced recruitment advertising – BJD 

will advertise a UKWA member’s vacancy on its 

website and other relevant ‘job boards’ as well 

as selected printed media at no charge; 

• A free 24-hour recruitment advice line; 

• A free recruitment audit and benchmarking 

service that will help UKWA members companies 

to review their current recruitment policies 

and assess how effective they are; 

• A free salary benchmarking service for 

warehousing and logistics management positions; 

• Free consultancy service to help identify the 

best type of person to recruit – this combined 

with the salary benchmarking service can 

improve a company’s performance dramatically. 

For details of how UKWA members can take 

advantage of the services available through 

The BJD Group contact UKWA on tel: 0207 836 

5522 

May 2008 



Employment Issues 31 

sons for this failure include: 

• Poorly written advertisements – often 

heavily weighted towards job descriptions; 

• People from earlier generations looking 

for mirror images of themselves; 

• Responsibilities and tasks that are wish 

lists 

• No account taken of attractiveness or 

otherwise of the employer, location or 

remuneration 

Attack the need not the person 

A winning recruitment strategy involves 

identifying your resourcing needs and being 

realistic about solutions. Before embarking 

on a recruitment campaign I would advise 

any UKWA member to: 

• Seek out advice - someone else will 

have tried it before; 

• Test for a realistic outcome before committing 

to an expensive, time consuming 

exercise; 

• If in doubt consider 

alternatives 

such as splitting 

the role, use of an 

Interim (at least 

initially); 

• In your own 

mind, identify with 

the perfect candidate. 

Empathise 

with their needs 

not yours and think 

of the attractions 

the role might offer 

- rather than 

straightforward 

descriptions of 

what it involves on 

a day to day basis. 

When recruiting 

most companies 

draw up shortlists of candidates - but be 

realistic about short list numbers. These 

days short lists will comprise fewer candidates. 

Those employers that insist on waiting 

for arbitrary short list numbers to be 

“Those employers 

that insist on 

waiting for 

arbitrary short list 

numbers to be 

reached 

before moving on 

to the next stage of 

the recruiting 

process 

are in danger of 

losing the best 

available talent to 

their competitors” 

reached (ie, they wait until they’ve got, say, 

five names on their shortlist before moving 

on to the next stage of the recruiting 

process) are in danger of losing the best 

available talent to their competitors. 

Remember there is only one perfect candidate 

for each vacancy - grab that person 

when you can. 

Rob Swindells, group marketing director of the frozen 

foods distributor Langdon Group talks about why he became 

involved with the Diploma in Retail 

Shop work 

Diplomas are part of one of the largest shake ups in education 

since the introduction of GCSEs and A Levels. They will provide a 

unique opportunity to broaden existing provision for 14-19 education 

with a specific focus on vocational education. There are plans 

to have 17 new Diplomas in place by 2011, each will combine 

work-specific skills and practical workplace experience with academic 

knowledge of Skills for Life (literacy and numeracy) and ICT. 

One example of these is the Diploma in Retail. Logistics forms a 

key element of this new Diploma. 

Over one million people in the UK are employed in Supply 

Chain Logistics mainly as truck drivers, warehousemen, administrators 

and managers and yet this vital process has never been subject 

to much interest from the world of Academia – with a few notable 

exceptions who run some excellent degree courses in this field. 

It is appropriate that logistics is included as part of the new Retail 

Diploma because quite simply without an efficient supply chain 

operating behind the “front of house”, retail businesses will fail. If 

evidence were needed for that statement it appeared during the 

year 2000 fuel protests when retail shelves emptied rapidly – particularly 

in my specialised sector of short life chilled foods where supply 

chains are extremely short (in time). 

Recognised qualification 

I became involved because I knew our industry needed a course offering 

practical education in the complex world of retail and logistics 

leading to a qualification which would become recognised throughout 

the industry. I thought that the creation of this diploma would help 

raise awareness amongst young people about the career opportunities 

available in what has previously been an unfashionable career option 

(I refer to the logistics sector specifically) . 

After over 30 years in management in this area, I know that logistics 

is endlessly fascinating as it operates within a sort of three dimensional 

game challenge, 24 hours per day, seven days per week. When 

it comes to aspiring operational managers in logistics we are looking 

for the sort of problem solving skills that arise from lateral thinking 

and anyone keen on games of strategy is likely to do well in this field, 

where service providers create complex links between manufacturers, 

importers, wholesalers and of course retailers. 

I was very pleased to be able to contribute to the course content 

and I am delighted that this innovative educational programme is 

being integrated with traditional skills training including Maths and 

English skills. The course structure is designed around three 

achievement levels which will give employers a clear understanding 

of the skill levels achieved. 

Hopefully this diploma will become the “Gold Standard” qualification 

in the speciality of retail and logistics and I hope that students 

will understand what a rewarding career this could lead to. 

January 2007 


Insurance 33 

The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 will force businesses to review the risk of 

work-related driving activities and ensure that they have in place a comprehensive written ‘Driving At 

Work’ policy covering both company and noncompany vehicles, says Joanne Locke of Willis Limited 

Dangerous driving 

As was extensively covered in the April 

issue of Warehouse, the Corporate 

Manslaughter and Corporate 

Homicide Act 2007 came into force on 6 

April 2008, creating a new offence called 

corporate manslaughter in England, Wales 

and Northern Ireland, and corporate homicide 

in Scotland. 

There are no new duties or obligations 

under the Act, nor is the new offence part 

of health and safety law. It is, however, 

specifically linked to existing health and 

safety requirements. 

An organisation will be guilty of an 

offence if the way its activities are managed 

or organised by senior managers result in a 

person’s death and amount to a gross 

breach of a relevant duty of care owed by 

the organisation to the deceased. 

The Act reinforces the obligation on a 

company to comply with existing health and 

safety legislation and makes it easier to 

prosecute companies causing death 

through negligence. As such, it is essential 

that your company’s health and safety 

management policies and procedures are 

up to date and enforced throughout the 

workplace. Directors and senior managers 

must be aware of their responsibilities and 

receive training as appropriate. 

One area that some employers have 

neglected in the past is that of occupational 

road risk. 

Numerous reports show that driving is 

the most hazardous part of many people’s 

work, the Department for Transport estimating 

that around 200 road deaths and serious 

injuries each week involve someone at 

work. Yet still many businesses have failed 

to take the issue of road safety seriously. 

A growing area of concern is the rising 

number of employees using their own cars 

for business travel, such vehicles often 

being described as ‘grey fleets’ because of 

the lack of information known about them. 

Grey fleets often sit outside normal company 

car reporting and policing channels, with 

some employers failing to check even basic 

details. This growing trend has created a 

large number of unchecked and unmanaged 

drivers who are a potential health and 

safety time bomb for employers under the 

new legislation. 

According to a report by fleet management 

company Arval UK*, smaller businesses 

are most at risk because they often don’t 

have the resources for full time vehicle 

management. 

The new Act will force businesses to 

review the risk of work-related driving activities 

and ensure that they have in place a 

comprehensive written ‘Driving At Work’ 

policy covering both company and noncompany 

vehicles. This policy should be 

communicated to all employees. 

If you would like any further information 

please contact Joanne Locke directly either 

by telephone on 01992 513 014 or by 

email at: lockej@willis.com 

Insurance package tailored 

to UKWA members 

UKWA has joined forces with Willis 

Limited to introduce an insurance 

package specifically tailored to meet 

the needs of the third party logistics 

sector. 

The scheme is designed to be 

competitive on price and will provide 

bespoke, comprehensive cover for 

all eventualities. It has been devised 

to help businesses manage their 

whole risk portfolio and a range of 

risk management advice, engineering 

inspection services and solutions 

and other service enhancements - 

such as claims handling information 

– is offered. 

The new insurance package is 

available exclusively for UKWA 

members. See www.ukwa.org.uk for 

details. 

*Arval’s research 

has revealed a 

number of disturbing 

statistics that 

could potentially 

compromise the 

health and safety 

of employees: 

• 83 per cent of 

businesses have no 

procedures in 

place to check that 

non-company cars 

are regularly maintained. 

• 74 per cent do 

not ask employees 

for a valid MOT 

certificate for their 

vehicles. 

• 35 per cent do 

not check the driving 

licences of noncompany 

car drivers. 

• 53 per cent 

have no policy for 

checking that the 

vehicle is insured 

for business use. 

• 56 per cent 

have no policy for 

reporting accidents 

in non company 

vehicles. 

March 2008 


May 2008

34 Round-Up 

NEW PRODUCT 

Summer launch planned 

for new tow tractor 

Jungheinrich has 

announced details of a 

new tow tractor that it 

plans to launch this summer. 

The EZS 570 will be 

built at the Group’s 

Specials Factory at 

Lüneburg, Germany, and 

will feature 3-phase AC 

technology to ensure that 

it combines excellent performance 

with high energy 

efficiency. 

The EZS 570 has been 

designed to be both versatile 

and economic: it 

can move trailers weighing 

up to seven tons and 

can be fitted with different 

PEOPLE 

Trailer manufacturer 

Schmitz 

Cargobull UK Ltd has 

appointed Stephen 

Rogers as its area sales 

manager for Ireland. 

Stephen has extensive 

experience of the commercial 

vehicle sector 

gained during a career that 

has included roles with fleet 

management and contract 

hire companies as well as 

another leading trailer 

manufacturer. 

Based in Dungannon, 

County Tyrone, Stephen’s 

remit is to ensure that 

Schmitz Cargobull continues 

to provide the very 

highest levels of customer 

care and service to its 

many clients throughout 

Ireland and, of course, to 

grow the company’s 

share of the Irish trailer 

market. 

couplings making it 

adjustable to virtually any 

trailer type. As an option 

a semi-automatic remote 

uncoupling device is 

offered that allows the 

operator to couple and 

uncouple trailers without 

leaving the operator platform. 

The new tow tractor is 

equipped with a powerful 

48-volt drive motor that 

provides powerful acceleration 

as well as a high top 

speed. At the same time, 

the maintenance-free 3- 

phase AC motor saves 

energy which means that 

WAREHOUSE COMPUTING 

State of the art WMS 

the 

EZS 570 offers 

a significantly prolonged 

operating time compared 

to other tractors in the 

same class. 

The robust construction 

of the EZS 570 makes it 

suitable for the harshest 

Stock management system 

environments. For example, 

its chassis is made 

from 8mm steel plate, 

while an extra high chassis 

apron ensures the 

operator’s safety. 

Evolution Power Tools, one of the world's fastest growing power tool brands is installing a stateof-the-art 

warehouse management system to "Automate the company's inventory management 

and optimise its customer service" says Evolution finance director Nicola Cook. 

The DeltaWMS system is being integrated with Evolution's existing Sage Line 50 sales 

order processing software; and with new RF (radio frequency) terminals installed on the company's 

forklift truck fleet to automate picking and speed dispatch of Evolution's Professional 

Steel Line; building industry multipurpose steel-,aluminium- and wood-cutting machines; and 

home (DIY) machines, from its 36,000 square foot warehouse. Evolution home products 

include the 'EVO180 Xtreme', the 'EVO380 Raptor', and the 'RAGE' and 'FURY' series. All products 

are developed by the company, manufactured externally and shipped into Evolution's 

Distribution Centre in the UK, for worldwide distribution. 

Clandestine Software’s new online stock management system has 

allowed Anchor Storage to absorb an unprecedented 90% increase in 

internet orders for goods since the start of 2008. 

The new system ReportIT, which supports their Warehouse 

Management System LocateIT, allows Anchors customers to view their 

stock levels online 24/7. 

As Anchor’s MD Stephen Britt comments: “We have a robust ordering 

system in place to manage large influxes of orders and have despatched 

everything on time. We are now moving more and more into internet 

order fulfilment, offering the full logistics package including pick and 

pack.” 

May 2008 


Round-Up 35 

HEALTH & SAFETY 

LIFT TRUCKS 

Competition aims to 

find Britain’s best 

forklift operator 

Training body RTITB and 

Sumo Glove are organising 

a National Lift Truck 

Operator of the Year 

Competition. 

Open to any 

Counterbalance 

Operators (see 

www.rtitb.co.uk/home) 

currently registered on the 

National Operators 

Registration Scheme 

(NORS) entry to the competition 

is free. 

The first stage of the 

competition, is completed 

on-line and is a web 

based theory and Hazard 

Perception test, designed 

to identify safe and efficient 

operators. The top 

eight competitors from 

each of five regions - 

Scotland Northern 

England, Southern 

England, Wales, and 

Ireland - will be invited to 

compete in the regional 

finals. 

At the regional finals 

competitors will be put 

through their paces both 

practically and theoretically 

with a series of challenges 

designed to not 

only assess their abilities 

as operators but also to 

Herongripa flooring is 

providing employees with 

healthy and safe working 

conditions at the DHL food 

and packaging distribution 

centre in Cannock. 

The matting is laid on both 

sides of the conveyor line 

used for processing and 

repackaging of goods. 

www.plastexmatting.com 

showcase their skills. 

Each regional finalist will 

receive a contribution of 

up to £100 towards travel. 

Each regional champion 

and runner up will 

receive cash prizes of 

£100 and £50 respectively 

and unique glass sculptures 

created and signed 

by the famous glass artist 

David Keenan, who is 

best known for the pieces 

he has created for the 

Royal Family. 

The regional champion 

and runners up from each 

of the five regional finals 

will then go forward to the 

National Grand Final to 

be held at the 

Headquarters of RTITB in 

Telford, Shropshire on 

26th September 2008. 

The National 

Champion will win a 

new five door Ford 

Fiesta, with second and 

third prizes of a luxury 

holiday and a European 

City Break Weekend . 

Again glass artist David 

Keenan will be creating 

unique glass 

sculptures for the 

winner and two 

runners up. 

NEW PRODUCT 

Yale has introduced a new series of heavy duty 

high lift reach truck masts that allow full pallets 

to be lifted over 12 metres. The Yale HD mast 

has a capacity of 1100Kg at 600mm load centres, 

at 10,000mm lift height. 

Announcing the new heavy duty 

mast, which is used with the 

company’s MR 16-20 reach 

truck, Yale Europe’s Paul 

Garrigan said: “The new 

design mast is based on the 

market demand to lift full 

pallets above 12 metres in 

complete safety, with minimum 

mast twist and sway”. 

The new mast has few 

cross members to obstruct 

the operators view, with 

fork tilt and integral 

side-shift as standard, to 

make pallet location at 

higher levels easy for 

operators. The addition of 

fork carriage cameras 

and closed circuit TV with 

an eye level monitor in 

the cab, gives operators 

additional confidence 

when handling pallets 

at above 10 metres. 


36 Racking 

When office products supplier Staples decided to consolidate two UK distribution centres into one larger 

facility, the challenge for Staples was to select a racking company that could design, manufacture and 

install a storage solution fwithin three months 

Stationery movement 

In 1986 Staples invented the office superstore. 

Today, with sales of over $18 billion, 

the company is the world’s leading 

office products business. In Britain, Staples 

UK Retail operates 134 stores throughout 

the country; until recently these stores were 

supplied by two distribution centres, one 

located in Daventry and the other in Milton 

Keynes. 

To reduce their overheads and increase 

the efficiency of the distribution operation, a 

decision was made for Staples to consolidate 

their two existing UK distribution centres 

which had duplicate inventories, into 

one larger facility - a new, 250,000 sq ft 

site located in Watling Park, Daventry. 

The challenge for Staples was to select a 

company that could design, manufacture 

and install a storage solution for the 

Daventry facility quickly; a three month 

deadline was imposed from placement of 

order to contract completion. The selected 

supplier would also be required to interface 

with the Staples project management team 

in Boston, USA, the facilities team in the UK 

and the appointed conveyor manufacturer, 

VanDerLande. 

Peter Scriven, Supply Chain Director 

Staples UK Retail, said, “In North America 

Staples operates four DCs – each around 

1million sq ft servicing around 1,000 

stores, so we already had an efficient base 

design for Daventry. Our existing US 

providers have pan European support so 

they were keen to quote for this new contract. 

“Although our US procurement team had 

already received four very competitive bids 

for the UK project, two from America and 

two from Europe, they heard about LINPAC 

Storage Systems towards the end of their 

decision making process. However, they 

were sufficiently impressed, after checking 

out the credentials of the company and 

receiving their professionally presented ten 

Continued on page 38 

There are more 

than 5,000 SKUs 

in the DC, all 

held in an 

innovative 

storage solution 

that combines 

VNA racking with 

a multi-tier 

picking module 

feeding through 

to conveyors onto 

outbound 

May 2008 

www.ukwa.org.uk

38 Cover Story 

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE 

Link 51 has completed the installation of a major mobile 

racking solution at Boughey Distribution’s new ambient 

storage facility in Cheshire 

Moving targets 

Moving up to the equivalent weight of a jumbo jet at the touch of a 

button – the Link 51 mobile racking installed for Boughey 

Distribution, one of the country’s leading third party grocery storage 

and consolidation organisations, is now operational. 

The recent development, based on Boughey Distribution’s continuing 

success in the ambient grocery storage field has opened up 

potential new business opportunities while effectively creating space 

equivalent to an additional warehouse. Three new storage facilities 

at its Wardle site in Cheshire provide some 54,000 pallet positions 

which, alongside its Winsford and Deeside sites, allows the 

company to offer a total of no less than 130,000 pallet locations – 

fulfilling the needs of a range of customers of all sizes. 

A combination of static and 

mobile racking has been installed 

in each new warehouse to six 

beam levels that can accommodate 

pallets up to 1,250 kgs in 

weight and, with three pallets per 

bay in the mobile area, component 

and installation costs have 

also been minimised. Each 

mobile racking chassis is mounted 

on a series of rails set into the 

floor and, because only selected 

aisles only are opened storage 

capacity of the available footprint 

is maximised. 

Boughey Distribution’s 

Managing Director, Keith Forster 

highlights key considerations that 

had to be met, including the need 

to accommodate relatively high 

pallet dimensions for some products 

and the ability to load up to the full pallet weight at every level 

of the racking. 

“The combination of bulk storage in the mobile area and faster 

picking positions in the static racking has allowed us to meet both 

ongoing and seasonal requirements,” he adds. He also points out 

that the installation ruled out the need for new trucks and new 

skills training which would have been required for a narrow aisle 

alternative. 

“We believe the installation is an excellent example of our product 

design and ability to work closely with the customer to meet 

precise requirements,” adds Major Accounts Manager at Link 51, 

Chris Patey-Round. 

www.link51.co.uk 

Stationery 

movement 

Continued from page 36 

der, to award the contract to LINPAC – a 

British manufacturer located within half an 

hour’s drive of the site.” 

There are more than 5,000 SKUs in the 

DC, all held in an innovative storage solution 

that combines VNA racking with a 

multi-tier picking module feeding through to 

conveyors onto outbound. 

Store orders are picked in batches, with 

approximately 19 stores per batch and four 

batches picked per day. The picking 

methodology is based around singles, case 

and pallet pick. In the VNA racking there 

are 20,000 pallet locations of bulk stock. 

These pallets are used either to replenish 

the multi tier pick module or are locations 

for picking and shipping using VNA Combi 

machines. 

The core of the picking is done from the 

centrally located four level picking module. 

Pallets that are held within the module are 

picked from lanes of dynamic pallet live on 

the ground level. This allows a fast and 

efficient solution for these bulky high volume 

lines which are placed on a belt conveyor. 

In the two central levels, reserve pallets 

are held on the outside of the module. 

These are used to replenish the 600 carton 

flow beds which present the medium to fast 

moving single units directly to the pick face. 

The pickers use a pick to light solution that 

enables orders to be sent to each work zone 

for fast, accurate and efficient picking. 

Picked orders are placed into tote bins 

and then onto a fast moving central conveyor 

belt. A large spiral conveyor at the rear 

of the picking module, collects orders from 

the different levels and conveys them to a 

slat shue sorter. Here the orders are separated 

into one of 20 down chutes, each a 

dedicated trunk route. 

The top level of the picking module provides 

room for further expansion, Peter 

Scriven again, “It is our intention to accelerate 

development and fit out the final level, 

providing further investment for LINPAC 

Storage Systems.” 

www.linpac.com 

May 2008 

www.ukwa.org.uk

Racking 39 

UKWA 

EVENTS 

DIARY 

5 June 

Northern 

Regional 

Meeting 

NISA Today, 

Scunthorpe 

2 July 

Annual General 

Meeting, Annual 

Luncheon & 

Awards for 


2008 

Dorchester Hotel, 

London 

In an attempt to ensure that its product offering meets the demsand of today’s 

racking user BITO has developed the new PRO pallet racking family 

New pallet racking system developed 

In an attempt to ensure that its product 

offering meets the demsand of today’s 

racking user BITO has developed the new 

PRO pallet racking family. 

Whereas the company’s existing system 

lacked heavy-duty uprights and its standard 

beams did not offer enough possibilites 

for level spacing (which also led to 

limited load capacity gradation), the 

modular PRO pallet racking system 

provides a comprehensive choice of 

upright and beam types for precise adaptation 

to load requirements. 

In order to calculate the ideal design of 

the system’s uprights and beams as well as 

the load capacity of a pallet racking frame 

as a whole, BITO’s R & D department carefully 

examined all conditions such as the 

actual cross section surface, material characteristics, 

material thickness, yield strength, 

the options where to locate stiffening corrugations 

and finally the rigidity of the overall 

system complete with struts. The range of 

uprights includes 9 uprights with a width of 

80 to 140 mm and is made for bay load 

capacities from 6 000 up to 30 000 kg. A 

40 000 kg capacity is even possible with 

special strutting between the uprights of a 

frame. With all these options, the PRO system 

completes the range in the heavy duty 

pallet racking segment. 

Available in six different heights ranging 

from 95 to 170 mm and for pallet loads of 

600, 800 and 1 000 kg per pallet, the PRO 

beams are constructed for bay widths of 

1,800, 2,700 and 3 600 mm. 

As an option, uprights can be supplied 

with a slot pattern to accommodate BITO 

flow shelves or to adjust pallet seats. If the 

racking installation is to be integrated into a 

total logistics system or for later upgrading 

into an automated storage system, round 

punchings allow to fit roller track segments 

and to install conveyor systems. 

Moreover, safety accessories such as 

upright protectors, column guards, back 

stops, back cladding, level decking, etc, 

add to the variety of options to customise 

the PRO racking system – benefits which 

have already convincing customers 

throughout industry. 

www.bito.co.uk 

17 September 

Southern 

regional 

Meeting 

Inbev Brewery, 

Magor 

21 October 

North West 

Regional 

Meeting 

Venue TBA 

UKWA Regional 

Meetings are free 

to attend and feature 

a programme 

of guests speakers. 

Further details are 

available from the 

UKWA website 

(www.ukwa.org.uk) 

or from Michael 

Davison on 0207 

836 5522.

UKWA PDFS MAY - United Kingdom Warehousing Association

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