Rack protection goes first where trucks turn: SEMA recommends end frame protection on every end frame between a gangway and an aisle in truck-operated racking, and HSE guidance asks for a conspicuous protective device on corner uprights. Beyond those positions, your risk assessment decides where upright guards and barriers go, based on where trucks and pedestrians actually move.

This guide sets out the priority locations, the types of protection, the mistakes that make damage worse, and how to plan protection into a layout rather than bolting it on after the first collapse scare.

Why does racking need protection?

Because trucks hit it. HSG76 clause 639 says protection is needed where racking is likely to be struck by lift trucks and other vehicles, adds that such damage is generally at the lower levels, and singles out corner uprights as especially at risk (quoted in SEMA Technical Bulletin 03). The HSE's short guide makes the same point: protect racking if it is likely to be struck by lift trucks and other vehicles (HSE, INDG412).

Uprights carry the load of every beam level above them. A single heavy impact low on a front upright can take a frame into the red category described in our guide to racking damage red, amber and green, and that means offloading the whole bay. Protection reduces how often that happens and how badly.

SEMA is clear, though, that rack protectors are a last resort means of avoiding damage (SEMA Technical Bulletin 03). The SEMA/FEM 10.2.16 guide lists the measures that come first: specification, design and installation to the relevant European standards, a named person responsible for storage equipment safety, operator training, and inspection and maintenance under BS EN 15635. Protectors are considered within the risk assessment as a way of limiting the effects of an impact, not as a replacement for those measures (SEMA, SEMA/FEM 10.2.16).

Where should rack protection go?

Start with the locations guidance names, then add the ones your risk assessment identifies.

The two guidance-led positions are a small share of the structure. In a run of ten bays, the two end frames are two of eleven frames, yet they take a large share of the hits because every truck entering or leaving the aisle passes them.

Bridge bays, where an end frame faces an aisle over a tunnel, are covered by the same SEMA recommendation (SEMA Technical Bulletin 03). Where retrofitting protection to an existing installation, HSG76 says each case needs consideration on its merits.

Which type of protection fits each location?

Rack protection falls into three families. SEMA/FEM 10.2.16 covers both protectors connected to uprights and standalone protectors fixed to the floor.

Upright guards

Upright post protectors wrap the front face and sides of an upright at low level. Floor-fixed versions stand clear of the upright, so a hit goes into the floor fixings rather than the frame. Versions attached to the upright are compact and suit tight aisles but pass some of the force into the frame. Choose by aisle clearance and truck type. Floor-fixed guards rely on their anchors, so the slab must be sound enough to hold them; our guide to anchoring pallet racking covers floor checks that apply equally to protection.

End-of-run barriers

A rack end barrier is a floor-fixed rail across the full depth of the end frame, protecting both uprights and the bracing between them. It is the usual way to meet SEMA's end frame recommendation, and it also stops trucks cutting the corner into the aisle.

Barriers along routes

Longer barrier runs keep trucks off racking faces beside cross-aisles and separate pedestrians from vehicles. The full range is in our rack protection and accessories category.

Can protection make damage worse?

Yes, if it eats into working clearances. SEMA warns that protectors can reduce clearances, which in some circumstances leads to more damage, not less (SEMA Technical Bulletin 03). A guard that narrows an aisle below what the truck needs simply moves the impact from the upright to the guard and then to the load or the beam above.

Check three things before fitting any protector:

• The aisle still meets the working width for the truck in use; see warehouse aisle widths for each forklift type.
• Pallets and forks still clear the guard when placing loads on the lowest level.
• Floor fixings for the guard do not clash with racking baseplates, floor joints or underfloor services.

How do you protect pedestrians as well as racking?

Separate them from trucks wherever possible. The Workplace Regulations require traffic routes organised so pedestrians and vehicles can move safely, and where both use the same route there must be sufficient separation (Workplace Regulations 1992, regulation 17). HSE guidance lists protective barriers, clear markings and raised kerbs as effective ways to keep vehicles away from pedestrian areas, and asks for barriers or guard rails at building corners and where people might step straight into a vehicle route (HSE, separating pedestrians and vehicles).

In a racked warehouse, that usually means barriered walkways along the main gangway, protected crossing points at aisle ends and no pedestrian access to aisles while trucks are working in them.

How do you plan protection into a new layout?

Count it at the drawing stage. Each run that is open at both ends needs end protection at each end, and corner uprights need guards. Whether every other aisle-facing upright needs a guard is a risk decision. The chart shows how quickly the numbers grow for single-sided 10-bay runs.

Planning early also lets you design out some of the need. Fewer, longer runs mean fewer exposed ends. Wider turning space at aisle ends reduces corner strikes. Our guide on how to plan a warehouse racking layout covers these trade-offs. When we quote a layout, protection appears as separate line items on the drawing so you can see where each guard sits.

Once fitted, protectors need inspecting like the racking. A bent guard has done its job and should be replaced. Add guards and barriers to your weekly racking inspection checklist.

Frequently asked questions

Is rack protection a legal requirement?

There is no rule naming specific products, but HSE guidance says racking likely to be struck by vehicles should be protected, and SEMA recommends end frame protection in truck-operated racking. Your risk assessment decides the rest.

What colour should upright guards be?

HSG76 asks for a protective device in a conspicuous colour on corner uprights. Yellow or yellow and black are common because they stand out against blue-grey uprights and orange beams.

Do upright guards stop all damage?

No. SEMA calls protectors a last resort. They limit the effect of low-level impacts, but beams and higher uprights can still be struck, so training and adequate clearances still matter.

How high should upright guards be?

High enough to cover the zone where forks, pallets and truck bodies make contact. HSG76 notes that damage is generally at the lower levels. The right height depends on your truck and pallet geometry, so we size guards to the truck type on each quote.

Should a damaged guard be replaced?

Yes. A bent guard has absorbed an impact and may not protect the upright from the next one. Check the upright behind it too, then replace the guard.

Sources

• SEMA: Technical Bulletin 03, rack protection
• SEMA: SEMA/FEM 10.2.16 The design and use of rack protection for adjustable pallet racking
• SEMA: Code of practice for the design and use of racking protection
• HSE: Warehousing and storage, a guide to health and safety (HSG76)
• HSE: Warehousing and storage, keep it safe (INDG412)
• HSE: Separating pedestrians and vehicles
• legislation.gov.uk: Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, regulation 17