Warehousing standards

To become a Full Warehouse member of UKWA all applicants must undergo a rigorous inspection by a UKWA Council official to ensure that they operate to the highest minimum standards in 11 critical areas of warehousing. Only by demonstrating that it can comply with these standards will a company’s membership application be accepted.

The 11 areas are:

• the warehouse buildings

• the warehouse site and perimeter

• offices and administration facilities

• statutory notices

• handling and storage equipment

• specialised storage amenities

• fire protection measures and equipment

• health and safety

• insurance

• environmental considerations

• and pest control

To ensure that the highest level of performance is maintained, UKWA members are expected to participate in an annual operational audit programme.

The annual operational audit – or AA as it is known – was devised by UKWA’s Operations and Safety committee in response to a groundswell of opinion that members should be asked to undertake regular operational audits as part of their conditions of membership.

The audit is a self-assessment scheme based on UKWA’s existing and proven Standards of Warehousing. Member companies undertake the audit themselves and submit their report by a given date every year. Compliance is acknowledged by use of the AA logo and also highlights the year of the assessment – alongside the individual company’s details throughout both the UKWA Directory and indeed, within the Warehouse Search section of this website.

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