UK law does not name a fixed racking inspection form, but it does require racking to be inspected, maintained and recorded. In practice that means three layers: staff report damage immediately, a trained person checks the racking every week or so, and a technically competent person carries out an expert inspection at least every 12 months (HSE, HSG76).

This guide sets out where those duties come from, who can do each type of check, what records you need, and how the inspection regime ties back to the racking you buy. We make pallet racking in our own factory, so we also explain what a supplier should hand over to make inspection straightforward.

Which UK rules require racking inspection?

The legal duty comes from general health and safety law rather than a racking-specific statute. Pallet racking counts as work equipment, so the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) apply. Regulation 6 says that where equipment's safety depends on how it is installed, it must be inspected after installation and before first use, and that equipment exposed to conditions causing deterioration must be inspected at suitable intervals and after exceptional events. The results must be recorded and kept until the next inspection (PUWER, regulation 6). Regulation 5 adds that equipment must be maintained in an efficient state and in good repair.

Three other pieces sit alongside PUWER:

• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require a suitable and sufficient risk assessment. That assessment sets your inspection frequency, not a calendar rule.
• The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require equipment whose failure could breach the regulations to be kept in efficient working order and good repair (regulation 5).
• HSE guidance HSG76, Warehousing and storage: a guide to health and safety, explains how the HSE expects racking to be designed, installed, used and inspected. Following it is not compulsory, but it is what an inspector will compare your site against.

The technical detail sits in BS EN 15635, the European standard on application and maintenance of steel storage equipment. It covers installation, use with handling equipment, inspection, and how to assess and classify damage (BSI, BS EN 15635).

What are the three levels of racking inspection?

HSE and SEMA describe the same three overlapping layers. The HSE's short guide INDG412 lists immediate reporting of damage and defects, visual inspections at regular intervals, and expert inspections by a competent person (HSE, INDG412). SEMA's guide uses the same structure (SEMA, guide to pallet racking inspections).

The first two layers are in-house. Our racking inspection checklist for in-house checks sets out what a weekly walk should cover, and how damage is graded is explained in racking damage: red, amber and green.

How often must pallet racking be inspected?

The ceiling is 12 months for an expert inspection. SEMA quotes HSG76 directly: a technically competent person should carry out inspections at intervals of not more than 12 months (SEMA Technical Bulletin 05). Within that ceiling, frequency is a risk decision. The HSE says harsher conditions call for more frequent inspection, and intervals can be shortened where experience shows damage building up (HSE, inspection of work equipment).

SEMA's technical FAQ gives working figures: formal inspections every 6 or 12 months depending on activity, and every three months in some circumstances for a 24/7 warehouse. Regular in-house checks should be documented at weekly or other intervals based on the risk assessment.

Factors that push you towards a shorter interval include:

• Several shifts, or weekend and night working, with heavy truck traffic.
• Narrow aisles or tight clearances between loads, beams and trucks.
• A history of impact damage, or new or agency drivers.
• Outdoor, cold store or wet conditions that speed up deterioration.
• Frequent reconfiguration of beam levels.

Who counts as a competent person?

For the HSE, a competent person has enough knowledge and experience of the equipment to know what to look at, what to look for and what to do when they find a problem (HSE, inspection of work equipment). That can be an in-house specialist. SEMA lists the options for the expert inspection as an in-house trained specialist, a specialist from the racking supplier, or an independent qualified rack inspector (SEMA Technical Bulletin 05).

Most UK sites use a SEMA Approved Rack Inspector (SARI) for the expert inspection, because the qualification is assessed and renewed annually. Our guide to SEMA racking inspection: who, how often and why explains what a SARI covers. The weekly checks are normally run by the PRRS, a named employee with authority to take bays out of use. SEMA's one-day Racking Safety Awareness course is aimed at that role.

What should an inspection record contain?

Records are a legal requirement, not good practice. PUWER says inspection results must be recorded and kept until the next inspection, and the HSE accepts electronic records if they are secure and available to an inspector on request (HSE, inspection of work equipment). INDG412 suggests a logbook of inspections, damage and repairs.

A useful record shows:

• Date, inspector name and the area or runs covered.
• Each damaged item by location (aisle, run, bay, level, front or rear upright).
• The risk category given and the action taken, including offloading.
• Date of repair and the replacement part used.
• Any missing or illegible pallet racking load notices.

SEMA points out that a damage-only list, which records damaged items and their location, does not meet the HSE requirement for the annual inspection. A full report also comments on suitability of the equipment, compatibility of components, load notices, pallets and housekeeping (SEMA Technical Bulletin 05).

What happens when an inspection finds damage?

Damage that affects safety means the racking comes out of use. INDG412 says to offload the racking and introduce controls to stop it being used until remedial work is done. The expert report will put a timescale on each item, and SEMA's guidance expects damaged components to be replaced with new parts rather than straightened (SEMA Technical Bulletin 04).

This is where buying from a supplier who can resupply matched parts matters. We keep drawings and component specifications for every order, so replacement pallet racking upright frames and beams can be made to the same profile and connector pattern. When repeated hits occur in the same place, look at the layout and at rack protection and accessories such as upright guards and end-of-run barriers, rather than repairing the same frame every quarter.

What should a racking supplier hand over?

An inspector checks your racking against its design data. Without that data, they can record damage but cannot confirm safe loads or component compatibility. At handover you should hold:

• A layout drawing showing runs, bays, beam levels and aisle widths.
• Load tables for each beam and frame type, and the bay and beam-pair loads used on the load notices.
• Component identification so replacement parts can be matched.
• Installation sign-off from the installer, which also serves as the first PUWER inspection after installation.

We supply load tables with each order and test reports on request. See our quality standards page for what comes with a delivery.

Frequently asked questions

Is a racking inspection a legal requirement in the UK?

Yes, in effect. PUWER requires work equipment to be inspected after installation and at suitable intervals where it can deteriorate, with records kept. HSE guidance in HSG76 sets the expert inspection at no more than 12 months apart.

Can our own staff do the annual inspection?

They can if they are technically competent for that equipment. SEMA lists an in-house trained specialist as one option, but most sites use an independent SARI because the qualification is assessed and renewed annually.

Do we need to inspect new racking?

Yes. PUWER regulation 6 requires an inspection after installation and before first use where safety depends on installation conditions. The installer's sign-off and handover documents normally form this record.

How long should we keep inspection records?

At least until the next inspection under PUWER. Most sites keep them longer so damage trends and repeat-impact locations can be seen across several years.

Sources

• HSE: Warehousing and storage, a guide to health and safety (HSG76)
• legislation.gov.uk: Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, regulation 6
• HSE: Inspection of work equipment
• HSE: Warehousing and storage, keep it safe (INDG412)
• SEMA: Technical Bulletin 05, types of racking inspection
• SEMA: Guide to pallet racking inspections
• SEMA: Technical FAQ
• SEMA: Racking Safety Awareness course
• SEMA: Technical Bulletin 04, straightening damaged uprights
• BSI Knowledge: BS EN 15635:2008 Steel static storage systems, application and maintenance of storage equipment