Why does your warehouse racking need technical inspections?

Industrial racking is a storage element that inevitably deteriorates over time.

The daily operation of the warehouse makes it practically impossible to avoid damage and deterioration of the racks, which directly affects the integrity of the storage system’s structure. This damage, not always visible to the naked eye, can give rise to all sorts of risks that need to be correctly assessed, classified, and attended to, so that accidents can be avoided.

Industrial racking forms part of the work equipment, and therefore is subject to periodic inspections. Regularly inspecting the storage systems, repairing or replacing damaged elements, is a key factor for increasing warehouse safety, reducing risks and damage to the racks, goods, and more importantly, to handling staff.

What standards relate to storage equipment inspections?

Several regulations apply to the inspection of metal racking:

Royal Decree 1215/1997 classifies racking as working equipment and establishes the minimum health and safety provisions for the use of work equipment. This Royal Decree makes it compulsory to correctly maintain work equipment, and to conduct periodic and duly documented audits that must be available for the labour authority.

UNE-EN 15635 on Steel static storage systems. Application and maintenance of storage equipment  and NTP852 on Storage on metal racking, establish that storage equipment must be regularly inspected, for the purposes of ensuring its good functioning and reducing the risks of an accident associated to working with racking in poor condition.

The frequency and scope of the inspections should be determined by the specifics of each installation, although they require:

• Weekly visual control of critical elements.
• Monthly detailed inspection.
• Annual inspection by a qualified technician.

According to standard UNE-EN 15635 “the user is responsible for the safety of the persons working near the equipment and for keeping it in operation in safe working conditions”. Therefore, the user must carry out periodic internal inspections (visual inspections) and appoint a person responsible for the safety of the storage equipment. This person will be in charge of knowing and centralising all information related to the safety of the warehouse.

At the same time, the user is not required to master risk assessment techniques for damaged elements or to have experience with storage systems, so the standards indicate a maximum interval of 12 months between inspections carried out by a qualified technician.

Standard UNE-EN 15878 defines the steel storage systems that need to be inspected. The most common ones are:

• Adjustable pallet racking
• Cantilever
• Compact pallet racking (drive-in and drive-through)

How do you know if your warehouse needs a technical inspection of its racking?

Every installation requires a technical inspection if it meets any of the following conditions:

• Is operated using mechanical handling equipment, such as forklifts, elevator platforms, or similar.
• The installation will be more than one year old since it was put into service.
• Since the last technical inspection, changes have been made to the original installation without checking with the manufacturer.

What is the inspection protocol for metal racking?

It is essential for the annual technical inspection to be carried out by expert technical personnel, with training and qualifications that guarantee that the inspections follow the technical parameters under the applicable standard and reference industry standards.

Thanks to its extensive track record as a manufacturer specialised in storage solutions, POLYPAL has created a technical inspections service for metal racking whose protocol is based on the current regulations. The inspection protocol involves assessing the risk of damaged elements and detected risks. Depending on the urgency or level of danger, the risk will be classified as red, yellow, or green.

Subsequently, a report will be prepared with photographs attached to illustrate the risks detected and the client will be given advice on the corresponding action to be taken to recondition the equipment and guarantee an optimum level of safety.

What are the advantages of carrying out technical inspections of the racking?

• Improves warehouse operation methods and safety management of the installation.
• Gradually reduces the amount of damage, resulting in a lower maintenance cost.
• As the maintenance cost improves, so does cost planning.
• More guarantees and reliability can be offered to your clients, representing an added value for your company.

Technical inspections contribute to increasing the safety of your warehouse, irrespective of its level of activity, returning the storage equipment to its original state in perfect condition for use.