Warehouse racking safety: the inspection requirements manufacturers miss

What are the pallet racking inspection requirements for Australian warehouses?

Victorian manufacturers storing goods on pallet racking must inspect it regularly for damage and overloading, with a competent person completing a formal inspection at least every 12 months, plus more frequent informal checks. This sits under the employer's general duty in the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic) to eliminate or reduce racking risks so far as reasonably practicable, and is detailed in WorkSafe Victoria's guidance on pallet racking operation and maintenance.

How often does racking need to be inspected?

WorkSafe Victoria sets out two layers of inspection:

• Informal inspections — daily or weekly, based on the recommendations of the manufacturer or a competent person. These use simple gauges or measuring tools to catch obvious damage or overloading early.
• Formal inspections — at least every 12 months, carried out by a competent person, with a written report covering observations and any corrective actions required.

If your racking system is more than 8 metres high, WorkSafe guidance says an elevating work platform should be used to properly inspect the upper levels — a ladder isn't enough to assess beams and connectors safely at that height.

Who counts as a "competent person"?

WorkSafe Victoria defines a competent person as someone who has acquired, through training, qualification or experience, the knowledge and skills to carry out the task. For racking inspections, that generally means someone who understands racking systems, can assess damage against the manufacturer's specifications, and understands load capacity principles — not necessarily an engineer, but not just whoever's free on the day either.

What standard governs racking design and inspection?

Racking should be set up, operated and maintained according to the manufacturer's instructions and AS 4084.2:2023 — Steel storage racking, Part 2: Operation and Maintenance, the current Australian Standard referenced throughout WorkSafe Victoria's guidance. It replaced the earlier AS 4084:2012 with a split standard: Part 1 covers design, Part 2 covers operation and maintenance.

How should damaged racking be classified and handled?

WorkSafe Victoria's guidance sets out three damage categories, each with different urgency:

Damage level	What it means	Required action
Very serious damage	Frame damage where limits are exceeded by more than a factor of 2	Off-load the affected bays immediately and repair before re-use
Hazardous damage	Frame damage where limits are exceeded up to a factor of 2	Tag with a dated hazardous damage tag, stop reloading that section, and repair as soon as possible (reclassify as very serious if not repaired within 4 weeks)
Acceptable damage	Damage within limits	Tag and record the date; review at the next inspection within 12 months

What should manufacturers actually check?

Beyond the annual formal inspection, WorkSafe's guidance points inspectors toward a specific checklist:

1. Unit loads — are goods matched to the racking's intended size, shape and weight, and are pallets stable and correctly keyed in?
2. Beams — any signs of deflection, impact damage, missing safety clips, or a beam that's popped out of its connector?
3. Safe working load (SWL) signage — are the signs still in place and accurate for the current configuration?
4. Uprights and footplates — any twisting, splitting or cracking? Are splices positioned correctly (above the first beam level, not below 1.5m, with no more than one splice between adjacent beam levels)?
5. Plumb and bracing — is the racking vertical, and are braces free of bends beyond the standard's tolerances?
6. Floor fixings — are anchors installed and undamaged, with at least 2 anchors per footplate?

What has to be reported to WorkSafe?

Some racking incidents are notifiable under the OHS Act 2004 and must be reported to WorkSafe immediately — including the collapse or partial collapse of a structure, or the fall or release of plant, a substance or a thing from height. A racking bay giving way under load can trigger this obligation, on top of any injury reporting.

Why this matters for manufacturers

Racking failures are rarely sudden — they're usually the result of a forklift clip that was never reported, a beam that's been quietly deflecting for months, or an informal inspection that stopped happening once the season got busy. Building the 12-month formal inspection and a simple damage-tagging system into your maintenance calendar is one of the more straightforward compliance gaps to close. If you're not sure where your current racking sits against this checklist, a site assessment can flag it alongside your other physical hazards — you can book one with Ardmor's team at https://ardmor.com.au/book-audit.

FAQ

How often must pallet racking be formally inspected in Victoria? At least every 12 months by a competent person, according to WorkSafe Victoria's guidance, on top of more frequent informal daily or weekly checks recommended by the manufacturer.

What standard applies to warehouse racking in Australia? AS 4084.2:2023 — Steel storage racking, Part 2: Operation and Maintenance — is the current standard WorkSafe Victoria references for how racking should be set up, operated, maintained and inspected.

Does racking damage always need to be reported to WorkSafe? Not automatically, but incidents involving the collapse or partial collapse of racking, or plant falling from height, are notifiable under the OHS Act 2004 and must be reported to WorkSafe immediately.

This article is general information for Victorian manufacturers, not legal advice. Last updated: 10 August 2026.