It is a warehouse owner’s responsibility to maintain and check the safety of the racking being used. A checklist is used to identify if there are any racking issues or a high risk of racking collapse.

All components of the racking system are inspected, the beams, braces, frames and accessories such as racking protectors. Preventing disasters or serious injuries from rack collapses is the main priority of racking inspections. A traffic light system is used to describe the risks identified, these are then put into an order of priority with green being the lowest and red the most serious.

As part of the inspection, recommendations will be made on how to avoid issues in the future. Products such as pallet racking protectors can be installed to prevent damage from forklift trucks and other warehouse machinery. This is a way of saving on future repair bills, as these products are much cheaper than replacing the racking itself.

It is advised a full expert inspection should be carried out every 12 months at a minimum. Having an internal member of staff to manage the inspections on a weekly or monthly basis is advised. If a problem is found, then it should be reported to this member of staff. Ensuring all staff are trained on the importance of racking safety will help with any wear and tear which may occur on the racking.

As well as pallet racking other warehouse storage systems must be inspected. These include systems such as shelving and mezzanine floors, all which form part of a storage system for warehouses.

Usually, a racking inspection report includes a fully detailed analysis of the warehouse’s storage system. Any damage is highlighted using the traffic light system, based on these findings a list of recommendations will be presented and any working practices which must be followed.