Pallet racking is installed in a fixed order: set out the layout on the floor, assemble and stand the upright frames, fit beams with their locks, plumb and level each frame, anchor the footplates, add accessories and protection, then fix load notices and hand over with an inspection. HSE guidance says racking should only be installed by competent people following the manufacturer's instructions (HSE, HSG76).

This guide walks through each stage as an installer would, so you know what should be happening on your floor, what to check and which records you should hold at the end. It assumes the design is approved and the parts are on site. If they are still at sea, start with our guide to shipping racking from China.

What must be ready before installation starts?

Three things come before any steel is lifted: an approved design, a suitable floor and a safe site. The design should follow a recognised code, either the SEMA design codes or EN 15512, and suit the stock and handling method (SEMA, guide to storage equipment installations). Our layout drawing shows frame heights, beam levels, bay widths, aisle widths and the load per beam level, and our load tables come with every order.

SEMA advises that the supplier visits before installation to check floor capacity, height, stock and how goods move (SEMA, guide to storage equipment installations). The floor matters because every upright passes its load to the slab through a small footplate. Our guide to anchoring pallet racking covers slab checks and fixings in detail.

On the day, the installation area should be fenced off from forklift traffic and pedestrians, with parts staged near the runs they belong to. The installer should provide a risk assessment and method statement, and a named supervisor should be on site. Our guide to SEIRS racking installers explains how to check the team's training.

Step 1: setting out the layout

The installer transfers the layout drawing to the floor. They fix a datum, usually from a wall or building grid line, then chalk the line of every run and the position of each frame. Setting out is where clashes show up: building columns, drains, sprinkler pipes, doors, fire exits and floor joints. A frame landing on a slab joint or too close to its edge may need a small shift, and any change should be agreed with the designer rather than made on the spot.

Aisle widths are checked at this point too. The aisle on the drawing is the clear width between pallet faces, not between frames, so the installer allows for pallet overhang when marking out.

Step 2: assembling the upright frames

If frames arrive knocked down, the installer bolts the horizontal and diagonal bracing between two uprights to form each frame, following the bracing pattern on the drawing. Bolts are tightened to the specified torque, and footplates are fitted to the base of each upright. Tall frames with a splice are joined at the marked position. Pre-assembled frames skip this step and go straight to standing.

Frames are checked against the drawing before they go up: correct height, correct depth, the right bracing pattern and the right upright section. Projects often mix frame types, for example heavier uprights in end frames or frames of different heights under a mezzanine or a low beam, and a frame in the wrong position is far easier to swap on the floor than once beams are fitted.

Step 3: standing frames and fitting beams

The first bay is the reference for the whole run. The installer stands two frames, fits the lowest beam level to make a stable square bay, then adds the remaining beam levels from the bottom up. Each new bay is built off the last, frame then beams, along the chalk line.

Every beam end connector must have its locking device fitted. A beam without a lock can be lifted out of its slots by a fork tine and drop. On our pallet racking beams the lock is a separate part that is fitted as each beam goes in, and it is one of the first things an inspector checks.

The counts add up quickly. In the worked example above, a modest run needs 120 beam locks, and missing ones are easy to overlook on upper levels. A good installer counts locks against the packing list at the end of each run.

Back-to-back runs

Where two runs stand back to back, they are joined with row spacers at set heights to keep the flue gap even and make the pair act together. Spacer positions are shown on the drawing, and the parts are listed on our row spacers page.

Step 4: plumbing, levelling and anchoring

Once a run is standing, each frame is checked for plumb in both directions and each beam for level. Uneven floors are corrected with steel shims under the footplates, kept within the limit set by the designer. BS EN 15620:2021 sets the tolerances, deformations and clearances for the production, assembly and erection of pallet racking (BSI, BS EN 15620:2021), and your installer should know which class applies to your project.

Only when a run is plumb and level are the footplates anchored to the floor, with the anchor type, size and embedment shown in the design. Anchoring before levelling locks errors into the structure.

Anchor counts climb fast, especially on back-to-back runs. Each anchor is drilled, cleaned and tightened to the manufacturer's torque, and any anchor that spins or does not reach torque is replaced in a new hole rather than left in place.

Faults to look for before sign-off

A walk along each run before handover catches most problems while the installer is still on site. Look for:

• beam locks missing, loose or fitted the wrong way round;
• beams at different heights from the drawing, or beams of the wrong capacity in a bay;
• frames visibly out of plumb, or shim stacks taller than the designer allows;
• footplates with missing or loose anchors;
• bracing members bent during handling, or bolts missing from bracing;
• row spacers missing between back-to-back runs.

Agree a snag list with the installer and have each item closed out before the runs are loaded.

Step 5: accessories and protection

With the structure complete, the installer fits the parts that make it safe and practical to use:

• mesh decking or pallet support bars where loads need support between the beams;
• upright post protectors at frames exposed to truck traffic;
• end-of-run barriers to protect frames at aisle ends;
• anti-collapse mesh or back stops where the drawing calls for them.

Our range of rack protection and accessories is designed to fit the same uprights and beams, so the fixings line up with the punched holes.

Step 6: load notices, handover and first inspection

No bay should be loaded until it is complete, anchored and carries a load notice. HSE guidance expects racking to carry a clear notice, securely fixed, that shows the maximum load, and SEMA's notice also includes general safety instructions and supplier details (SEMA, load notices). Our guide to pallet racking load notices explains what each notice must show.

Stage	Key checks	Record you should keep
Before start	Design approved, floor checked, area segregated	Layout drawing, load tables, method statement
Setting out	Datum, aisle widths, clashes with columns and joints	Marked-up drawing for any agreed change
Frames and beams	Bracing pattern, bolt torque, beam levels, locks fitted	Installer's run checklist
Plumb, level, anchor	Plumb, level, shim limits, anchor torque	Tolerance check sheet
Accessories	Decking, spacers, protectors and barriers fitted	Accessory schedule
Handover	Load notices fixed, all bays complete	Installation completion record

From handover, the racking enters your inspection regime. SEMA's guidance describes weekly or risk-based checks by your Person Responsible for Racking Safety, and an expert inspection yearly or twice yearly depending on the risk assessment; one stated purpose of inspection is to verify correct installation (SEMA, guide to pallet racking inspections).

Frequently asked questions

Can our own warehouse staff install the racking?

HSE guidance says racking should be installed by competent people following the manufacturer's instructions. In the UK that competence is usually shown by a SEIRS card, and most buyers use a SEIRS-carded installation team.

Do you install the racking yourselves?

No. We manufacture and ship the racking, then installation is done by your installer or a SEIRS-carded installer we introduce, working from our drawing and instructions.

Can racking be installed while the warehouse is operating?

Yes, if the installation area is fenced off from trucks and pedestrians and the work is phased so no one works beside live traffic.

When can we start loading the racking?

Only once each bay is complete, plumbed, anchored, fitted with beam locks and carrying a load notice, and the installer has signed it over.

Sources

• HSE: HSG76 Warehousing and storage, a guide to health and safety
• SEMA: Guide to storage equipment installations
• SEMA: Load notices
• SEMA: Guide to pallet racking inspections
• BSI: BS EN 15620:2021 Steel static storage systems, tolerances, deformations and clearances
• BSI: BS EN 15512 Adjustable pallet racking systems, principles for structural design