Industrial warehouse racking
Racking inspection
A racking inspection is a structural assessment rather than a walk round the warehouse: it looks at the condition of the frames, at whether the loads on them match what they were designed for, and at whether the system still complies. Rejuva inspects racking across Europe against EN 15635 and issues a report you can act on and show to an insurer or a regulator.
What a racking inspection covers
Racking is a structure that is hit for a living. Every pallet put away is a chance for a truck to touch an upright, and the damage accumulates quietly: an upright bent a few millimetres out of line loses a significant part of its capacity, and nothing about the bay looks different from the aisle.
An inspection is what makes that visible before it matters. It is carried out by someone technically competent, it works to a method rather than an impression, and it ends in a written record that says what was found, how serious it is and what has to happen next.
What the inspector looks at
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Design and layout
The type and configuration of the racking against what is actually stored in it, including whether the layout still matches the trucks and traffic routes in use today.
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Structural condition
Uprights, beams, bracing, baseplates and anchors, examined for impact damage, deformation, corrosion, missing components and loose fixings.
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Loads against capacity
Whether the weight and the way it is placed match what the system was designed for, and whether the load notices on the run still describe what is on it.
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Safety and compliance
Aisle clearances, upright protection, end guards, beam locks and the signage the system is required to carry.
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Report and recommendations
Everything found, classified by risk, with photographs and a prioritised list of what to do about it and in what order.
What an inspection is not
It is not the check the warehouse does itself. EN 15635 expects both: the day-to-day visual checks by the person responsible for storage equipment safety, and the formal inspection by someone technically competent who is not part of the operation.
The second one matters precisely because it comes from outside. Damage that has been in the aisle for eighteen months stops being visible to the people who walk past it, and the person who signs off the traffic route is rarely the best placed to judge whether it is working.
EN 15635 and what it asks of you
EN 15635 is the European standard for the use and maintenance of steel static storage systems. It sets out how racking should be used, what has to be checked and how often, and how damage should be assessed and dealt with, which is why it is the reference point for almost every conversation about racking safety in Europe.
Two duties in it drive most of the work. Somebody in the warehouse has to be responsible for storage equipment safety and has to record and act on damage reported day to day. And the racking has to be inspected formally by a technically competent person at least once a year, with the findings written down.
Damage is classified by how serious it is: green where it stays under observation, amber where it has to be repaired within a defined period, and red where the bay is unloaded immediately and not used until it is put right. That classification is what turns an inspection into a plan rather than a list of observations.
Rejuva inspects, and can carry out the repairs the report calls for, so the finding and the fix do not need two suppliers.
Frequently asked questions about racking inspection
How often should racking inspections be carried out?
EN 15635 sets out a formal inspection by a technically competent person at least once every twelve months, alongside the regular visual checks a warehouse carries out itself. Sites with heavy forklift traffic, or that have had an incident or a layout change, are inspected more often than that.
What happens if damage is found during an inspection?
Damage is classified by risk. Green means it is within limits and is monitored, amber means it has to be put right within a set period, and red means the bay is unloaded and taken out of use until it is repaired. The report records each finding with that classification and a recommendation, so it doubles as an action plan.
Do we have to stop operations during the inspection?
Usually not. An inspection is carried out during normal working hours and is coordinated with your team so it does not cut across the traffic routes in use. The exception is a red finding, where the bay concerned has to be unloaded straight away.
What qualifications should a racking inspector have?
Look for inspectors certified by a recognised body such as SEMA, the Storage Equipment Manufacturers’ Association. Rejuva’s inspectors hold those certifications and work on industrial racking full time.
Is racking inspection a legal requirement?
The duty comes from national work equipment and workplace safety law rather than from the standard itself: an employer has to keep equipment safe and in good repair. EN 15635 is how that duty is normally discharged and evidenced for racking, and it is what an insurer or an auditor will ask about.
What is included in the inspection report?
The condition of the racking bay by bay, photographs of the damage found, the risk classification for each finding and a prioritised set of recommendations. It serves both as a compliance record and as the basis for the repair work that follows.
Can you inspect racking from any manufacturer?
Yes. Rejuva is not tied to one manufacturer, and the inspectors assess systems from the makes commonly found across Europe, including mixed-brand warehouses where runs have been extended over the years with whatever was available.
How long does an inspection take?
It depends on the size of the site, how many separate systems are in it and how much of the racking is loaded at the time. We give you a timeframe once we know the layout, rather than quoting a standard duration that would not survive contact with your building.
Racking services, from first survey to buy-back
Racking is not only bought. It has to be installed to the design, inspected while it is in use, repaired when it is hit, and moved or sold when the operation changes.
Racking systems we design and install
Every system sits somewhere on one trade-off: selectivity, meaning you can reach any pallet at any time, against density, meaning how many pallets fit into the same floor area.
Have a project in mind?
Describe what needs to happen in the building and we will come back with a proposed approach, the specialist who would carry it out and a budget you can work with.