Storage Equipment Manufacturers Association

What Storage Equipment Manufacturers Association does

The Storage Equipment Manufacturers' Association (SEMA) is a UK-based non-profit trade association founded in 1968 and headquartered at Unit 10 Attwood Road, Burntwood Business Park, Staffordshire. The organization develops technical standards, codes of practice, and quality assessment frameworks governing the design, installation, inspection, and maintenance of storage equipment, primarily pallet racking and shelving systems. SEMA's core technology consists of its SEMA Codes of Practice, the Membership Standard Assessment (MAS) framework covering more than 40 regulations and legislative requirements, and proprietary credentialing methodologies including the SARI traffic-light damage categorization system. It operates four membership tiers (SEMA Approved Manufacturer - Full Member, Associate Member, Approved Member, and Approved Member - Advanced) subject to independent audit and five-year reassessment cycles.

SEMA's primary product surface is its training and certification portfolio, delivered through a dedicated training facility in Burntwood and on customer sites. Programs include the Rack Safety Awareness (RSA) and Cantilever Rack Safety Awareness (CRSA) courses for warehouse employees, the five-tier SEIRS installer credentialing scheme (Foundation, Diploma, Refresher, Supervisor, Installation Manager) which is the sole recognized route to a CSCS card for pallet racking installation, and the SARI three-day inspector qualification. A physical SEMA Rack Inspection Kit is sold as a complementary hardware product. The association monetizes via recurring membership subscriptions, per-delegate training fees ranging from £250 to £950 plus VAT, hardware sales (£110 per kit), and technical publications. Distribution is indirect: SEMA reaches end-user warehouses through a national member directory and a separate Find-a-SARI map, while members serve warehouse operators directly with credentialed supply, installation, and inspection services.

Name

Storage Equipment Manufacturers Association

Legal name

Storage Equipment Manufacturers' Association Ltd.

Website

https://sema.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SEMA is a UK non-profit trade association founded in 1968 that sets codes of practice, runs membership audits, and delivers certified training (RSA, SEIRS, SARI) for the storage equipment industry, serving warehouse operators, manufacturers, installers, and inspectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association — Storage Equipment Safety Standards

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Assessment, Certification & Qualifications Frameworks (BPADAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Skilled Trades, Safety & Compliance Certification Prep (OSHA, HAZMAT, welding, electrical, HVAC) (EDANAIAM)

Keywords

• Storage equipment standards
• Pallet racking safety
• Warehouse training certification
• Racking inspection services
• Industry trade association

Headquarters

HQ city

Burntwood

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: SEMA generates revenue through membership fees from four tiers: SEMA Approved Manufacturer - Full Members, SEMA Associate Members, SEMA Approved Members, and SEMA Approved Members - Advanced. Each tier requires independent audit assessment and ongoing compliance with SEMA standards.
2. Training Course Fees: Revenue from instructor-led training programs including SEIRS courses (Foundation £250, Diploma £950, Refresher £275, Supervisor £395, Installation Manager £495), RSA/Rack Safety Awareness courses (£250 per delegate), SARI inspector training, and rack inspection kit sales (£110).
3. Training Products and Materials: Sale of SEMA-branded training and inspection products including the SEMA Rack Inspection Kit containing spirit levels, tape measures, torch, step gauge, and carry bag.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SEMA is a UK trade association that develops and publishes technical codes of practice for the design, installation, inspection, and maintenance of storage equipment (pallet racking, shelving, cantilever racking). It runs an independently audited membership certification scheme (MAS) for manufacturers, suppliers, installers, and inspectors, and delivers a structured portfolio of instructor-led training and competency qualifications including RSA, CRSA, the five-level SEIRS installer scheme (Foundation, Diploma, Refresher, Supervisor, Installation Manager), and the SARI qualified inspector course.

Product overview

The Storage Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) is a trade association for the storage equipment industry, not a traditional product company. Its offerings consist primarily of training courses and certification schemes. The core training programs include the Rack Safety Awareness Course (RSA) for warehouse employees covering racking inspection basics, and the Cantilever Rack Safety Awareness Course (CRSA) for cantilever racking inspection. The SEIRS (Storage Equipment Installers Registration Scheme) training program provides progressive qualifications for installers across five levels: Foundation (entry/trainee), Diploma (full qualification), Refresher (renewal), Supervisor, and Installation Manager courses. The SARI (SEMA Approved Rack Inspector) training program qualifies inspectors for expert annual rack inspections. Additionally, SEMA offers a physical SEMA Rack Inspection Kit containing inspection tools. SEMA also operates a membership certification scheme including Approved Manufacturer - Full Members, Associate Members, and Approved Members/Advanced who are independently audited against industry standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SEIRS: Storage Equipment Installers Registration Scheme - a national training programme for racking installers
• SARI
• RSA
• CRSA

Products and services

• SEMA Rack Safety Awareness Course (RSA) One-day instructor-led course providing warehouse employees with knowledge and skills to safely work around racking, conduct weekly/monthly in-house inspections, and understand load notices. Price £250 + VAT per delegate; certificate valid 4 years. Referenced in HSE guidance HSG76.
• SEMA Cantilever Rack Safety Awareness Course (CRSA) One-day course for warehouse staff covering safe work around and inspection of cantilever racking systems, including legislation, load notices, and damage categorisation. £250 + VAT per delegate.
• SEIRS Foundation – Part 1 One-day introductory course for new and existing pallet racking installers covering health and safety issues, industry-specific hazards, and practical use of safety harnesses. £250 + VAT per delegate; results in SEIRS Trainee card valid 6 months.
• SEIRS Diploma – Part 2 Two-day course combining classroom theory and practical training for installers to erect and dismantle pallet racking per SEMA guidelines, including practical assessment. £950 + VAT (new to SEIRS) or £450 + VAT (existing SEIRS card holders); results in full SEIRS card valid 5 years.
• SEIRS Refresher One-day classroom renewal course for existing SEIRS card holders updating skills and knowledge of latest safety procedures and legislation. Available from 2027; £275 + VAT per delegate; card valid 5 years.
• SEIRS Supervisor One-day course for site supervisors managing installation teams, covering safety procedures, legislation, and responsibilities in pallet racking construction. £395 + VAT per delegate; requires minimum 80% on final test; results in SEIRS Supervisor card.
• SEIRS Installation Manager One-day course for site managers overseeing racking installation projects, covering risk assessments, method statements, health and safety legislation, and project management. £495 + VAT per delegate; requires CITB HS&E MAPS test and minimum 80% on final test; results in SEIRS Installation Manager card.
• SEMA Approved Rack Inspector (SARI) Training Three-day intensive course qualifying personnel for expert annual inspections of storage equipment, including written exam and practical assessment using the SARI traffic light damage categorisation system.
• SEMA Approved Manufacturer – Full Member Top-tier membership category for industry-leading manufacturers of racking and heavy-duty shelving systems, providing independent product design assessment and requiring commitment to using SEIRS installers and SARI inspectors. Subject to MAS audit every five years.
• SEMA Associate Member Membership category for companies providing supporting safety measures and systems in warehouses, including machine guarding, warehouse partitioning, and active safety measures complementing SEMA manufacturer products.
• SEMA Approved Member Membership category for distribution and installation companies of storage equipment, audited against over 40 regulations, standards, codes of practice, and legislative requirements through the Membership Standard Assessment (MAS) framework.
• SEMA Rack Inspection Kit Inspection kit bag containing essential tools for visual rack inspections: 1000mm and 600mm magnetic Zeno spirit levels/straight edges, Stanley FatMax 8m/26ft tape measure, Voylite LED torch, SEMA measuring step gauge, and carry bag. £110 excluding VAT; collection only.

Quantifiable outcome

• SEMA Approved Members must meet over 40 regulations, standards, and requirements through MAS audit
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoSPA formally approves most SEMA training courses including RSA, SEIRS, and SARI programs. This approval means courses are formally recognized by this key independent health and safety organization. SEMA training facilities and course materials are assessed against RoSPA standards.
• British Materials Handling Federation (BMHF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEMA maintains leadership at National level through membership of the British Materials Handling Federation. The partnership combines industry knowledge to provide expert warehouse racking services and raise standards across the storage equipment industry.
• European Materials Handling Federation (FEM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEMA is the UK National Committee Member of FEM's Racking and Shelving product group, providing leadership at European levels. FEM sets standards and codes for the materials handling industry across Europe.
• Health and Safety Executive (HSE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEMA works closely with HSE which produces guidance document HSG76: Warehousing and Storage. HSG76 references SEMA codes, design standards, and training courses. SEMA was consulted in establishing the SEIRS national registration scheme to improve safety standards at point of installation.
• Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSCS recognizes SEIRS as a Partner Card Scheme. Racking installations may fall under construction site requirements where managers require contractors to hold CSCS cards. SEIRS is the only route to gaining a CSCS card for pallet racking installation.
• CITB (Construction Industry Training Board)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCITB conducts the Health, Safety and Environment Test required for SEIRS CSCS card applicants. The test must be taken within 6 months prior to SEIRS course date and is conducted independently by CITB at test centres across the UK.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• British Safety Council: UK health, safety, and environmental training and certification body offering accredited courses. Operates in adjacent safety training space with similar HSE-aligned qualification frameworks, competing for safety training spend across multiple industries.
• NEBOSH (National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health): UK-based awarding body offering globally recognized health and safety qualifications. Comparable to SEMA's credentialing function (SEIRS, SARI) but at broader occupational scope, with similar HSE/regulatory recognition and recurring recertification cycles.
• Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH): Leading UK professional body for occupational safety practitioners offering accredited training and CPD. Overlaps with SEMA's safety training mission at a much broader occupational scope, with comparable HSE-citation and regulatory endorsement.
• European Materials Handling Federation (FEM): European-level industry body covering materials handling including racking, shelving, and forklifts. Comparable as the parent standards-setting body of which SEMA is the UK national member, with broader remit across multiple product groups.
• Material Handling Industry (MHI): US-based trade association for the full materials handling supply chain including racking, automation, and forklifts. Comparable to SEMA at the supply-chain level through its Rack Manufacturers Institute division, with broader industry-scoped standards and events.
• Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA): UK health and safety training approval body that approves SEMA's courses. Operates as a credentialing authority across occupational safety training, competing for the same HSE-recognized training market but across a broader safety curriculum.

Direct peers

• Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS): UK card scheme verifying construction-site worker competency. SEIRS is a CSCS Partner Card Scheme, making CSCS the credentialing platform peer through which SEMA-certified installers access construction sites.
• Construction Industry Training Board (CITB): UK statutory training and standards body for the construction industry. CITB is the prerequisite testing body for SEIRS CSCS card applicants (via HS&E test), making it a tightly coupled peer in the construction-site credentialing ecosystem.
• Rack Manufacturers Institute (RMI): US-based trade association for storage rack manufacturers that publishes the American Racking Code of Practice and offers industry standards, training, and inspection frameworks. Directly comparable to SEMA's role in the UK, with analogous member-audit and technical-guidance functions serving a parallel regulatory environment.
• British Materials Handling Federation (BMHF): UK umbrella trade body for materials handling of which SEMA is a member. Provides national-level coordination and advocacy for the storage equipment, lifting, and forklift sectors; comparable as a federation of UK manufacturing trade associations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/semauk
• Xx.com/semauk

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Storage Equipment Manufacturers Association