Pallet racking inspections
Annual inspections, scheduled routine inspections and full racking audits for warehouses across the UK. Every defect is recorded and graded by risk, with a clear action against each one.
Why racking needs inspecting
Damaged racking can collapse with little warning. A dented upright or a missing beam lock is easy to miss until a bay is loaded.
Pallet racking is work equipment. The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 require it to be kept in a safe condition and inspected where damage could put people at risk. HSE guidance in HSG76, Warehousing and storage, and the standard BS EN 15635 for the use and maintenance of storage equipment, describe three levels of checking:
- Immediate reporting. Anyone who sees or causes damage reports it straight away.
- Regular visual checks. A named person responsible for racking safety walks the racking, usually weekly, and records what they find.
- Expert inspection. A technically competent racking inspector carries out a full inspection at intervals of no more than 12 months, and writes a report.
We carry out the expert inspection, and give your own staff what they need for the regular checks in between.
Our racking inspection services
One inspection or a programme for every site you run, carried out across the UK by experienced racking inspectors from our teams of contractors and subcontractors.
Annual expert inspection
A full inspection of your racking by an experienced racking inspector, at least once every 12 months, with a written report.
Scheduled routine inspections
Inspections booked at a set interval, such as every six or twelve months, so the next one is never missed.
Full racking audit
Every bay checked against its load signs, configuration and layout, for a site that has changed or has no records.
Inspection after an impact
A truck has hit a run, or damage has been reported. Send us photos for a first view the same working day, and we arrange an inspection if it needs one.
Moved or extended racking
Racking that has been relocated, reconfigured or added to is checked before it goes back into use.
Repairs and replacement parts
Damaged uprights, beams, bracing, locks and protection supplied and fitted, then the bay signed back into use.
Green, amber and red: how damage is graded
Each defect found is given one of the three risk levels used across the UK racking industry, so you know what to act on first.
Within limits
The damage is within acceptable limits. The bay stays in use, and the damage is recorded and checked again at the next inspection.
Repair soon
The damage needs repair. Once the bay is emptied it must not be reloaded until it is repaired, which should be within four weeks.
Offload now
Serious damage. The bay is offloaded and isolated at once and not used again until it has been repaired or replaced.
Spotted damage? Send us photos
Email or upload photos of damaged racking for a free first view, usually the same working day: offload now, book a repair, or have it inspected.
What a pallet racking inspection checks
The inspector works through every run, bay by bay, and looks at how the racking is being used as well as its condition.
Your own staff can use the same points for weekly checks with our racking inspection checklist.
- Uprights: dents, bends, splits and out-of-plumb
- Bracing: bent members and missing bolts
- Base plates and floor fixings
- Beams: deflection, damage and connector condition
- Beam locks fitted at both ends
- Rack protection, guards and barriers
- Load notices: present, legible and correct
- Loads within the rated capacity and evenly placed
- Pallet condition and overhang
- Aisles and gangways kept clear
- Decking, mesh and accessories secure
- Changes to the layout since it was installed
How an inspection works
Tell us about the site
The type of racking, roughly how many bays, and when it was last inspected. We send a written quote.
The inspection
An inspector visits on a date that suits you and checks the racking while you keep working. Red risk damage is reported before they leave.
Report and repairs
A written report lists each defect by location with its risk level and the action needed, with a quote for any repairs and the date the next inspection is due.
Repairs and alterations under a written RAMS
Repairs found by an inspection, and any work to install, dismantle, move or extend racking, are planned and carried out under a written risk assessment and method statement (RAMS). Bays are emptied and the work area closed off, damaged parts are replaced rather than straightened, and the racking is checked before it goes back into use.
RAMS downloads: links coming soon.
Pallet racking inspection questions
Need racking designed, moved or extended as well? See pallet racking design and installation.
How often should pallet racking be inspected?
An expert inspection at least once every 12 months, backed by regular visual checks by your own staff, usually weekly. Busy sites, or racking that is hit often, may need expert inspections more often. Any damage should be reported and checked as soon as it happens.
Is a racking inspection a legal requirement?
Racking is work equipment, so the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 require it to be maintained in a safe condition and inspected where damage could put people at risk. HSE guidance in HSG76 and the standard BS EN 15635 set out how that should be done.
Who carries out the inspection?
Our inspections are carried out by experienced racking inspectors from our teams of contractors and subcontractors, and arranged and managed by us.
Do you cover my area?
Yes. We are based in the East Riding of Yorkshire and inspect racking across the UK.
Can you inspect racking you did not supply?
Yes. We inspect most makes and types of pallet racking, whoever supplied or installed it.
Will the inspection stop us working?
No. The inspector works through the site aisle by aisle, around your trucks and staff. Tell us your busy times and we plan the visit around them.
What happens if red risk damage is found?
You are told before the inspector leaves, so the bay can be offloaded and closed straight away. We then quote for the repair or replacement parts.
How much does a pallet racking inspection cost?
It depends on the number of bays, the number of sites and how often you want inspections. Fill in the form below for a written quote.
Request a racking inspection quote
Tell us about the racking and the site, and we will come back with a written quote. Or call us, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.