SEMA Racking Inspection Checklist
This is the SEMA racking inspection checklist our own SARI accredited inspectors work through on site — eight categories, in the order they are inspected, measured against the published SEMA damage tolerances rather than against opinion. It is free to use, free to print, and free to download as a PDF.
Pallet racking is work equipment under PUWER 1998, so it must be suitable, maintained and inspected. HSG76 sets out a three-tier regime: immediate reporting of impacts, weekly documented visual checks by your nominated PRRS, and an annual expert inspection by a technically competent person. This checklist is the framework for tiers one and two — and exactly what the annual SEMA racking inspection verifies.
How each item is classified
Every defect recorded against the checklist gets a red, amber or green rating. The rating dictates the action and the deadline.
Damage within tolerance. No action required — the component stays in service and is re-checked at the next weekly walk-round.
Damage requiring repair within a set timeframe — commonly four weeks. Reduce the load in the meantime. If the deadline passes without repair, it escalates to red.
Unload the bay and take it out of use immediately. Do not re-load until the component has been replaced or repaired to the manufacturer's specification.
SEMA damage tolerances used on this checklist
These are the measurable limits behind every judgement on the list. Below tolerance is monitored; at or above tolerance triggers a classification and a defined action.
| Component / measurement | SEMA tolerance |
|---|---|
| Upright frontal (cross-aisle) deflection | Max 3mm over a 1m gauge |
| Upright lateral (down-aisle) deflection | Max 5mm over a 1m gauge |
| Bracing member deflection | Max 10mm |
| Beam deflection under load | Max Span / 200 |
| Beam residual deformation (unloaded) | Max Span / 1000 |
The 8-category SEMA racking inspection checklist
1. Upright frames
- Bends, dents or buckling in any upright section — most commonly at the lower 1m from forklift impact.
- Splits or cracking in welds where diagonals meet uprights.
- Corrosion, particularly on external, cold-store or chemical-exposed installations.
- Twisting or out-of-plumb frames beyond EN 15635 tolerance.
2. Beams and beam connectors
- Bent, twisted or visibly deflected beams under load — beams should return flat when unloaded.
- Safety clips or locking pins present and correctly engaged at every beam end.
- Damage to beam-end connectors, including cracked welds or sheared teeth.
- Correct beam type and length for the bay — no ad-hoc substitutions.
3. Base plates and floor fixings
- Cracked or deformed base plates.
- Base plates lifting from the floor slab.
- Missing, loose or corroded floor bolts.
- Correct anchor type and specification for the floor construction.
4. Bracing
- Damage to diagonal or horizontal bracing from impact.
- Missing bracing components.
- Loose, missing or incorrectly torqued bracing bolts.
5. Load notices
- A load notice is present on every run of racking.
- Signage is legible and undamaged.
- The notice matches the current beam configuration and the loads actually in use.
- Notice has been re-issued after any reconfiguration of beam levels.
6. Row spacers and guards
- End-of-aisle barriers present and undamaged.
- Column guards / upright protectors fitted where required and intact.
- Row spacers correctly installed between back-to-back runs.
7. Pallets
- Pallets in use are suitable for the racking system and load type.
- No damaged, broken or non-standard pallets contributing to instability.
- Loads are not overhanging beams or contributing to overloading.
8. General housekeeping
- Racking is being used as designed — no makeshift storage above top beams.
- No signs of overloading or uneven loading across the bay.
- Sprinklers, lighting and emergency routes are not obstructed by stock.
- Aisles clear, floors in good condition, no trip hazards at the base of uprights.
Download the printable PDF checklist
The same eight categories as a printable, signable weekly record sheet for your PRRS file. Free — enter your details and we'll send the link.
Direct link: racking-inspection-checklist.pdf
Who carries out each level of inspection
SEMA and HSG76 describe three tiers of inspection. All three are expected to be in place — the annual expert inspection does not replace the routine checks that happen in between.
1. Immediate reporting and daily visual awareness
Carried out by trained warehouse staff as part of normal work. Any impact damage or defect is reported immediately to the nominated PRRS and the affected bay isolated pending review.
2. Weekly documented checks by the PRRS
The Person Responsible for Racking Safety is a nominated, trained employee who carries out documented weekly inspections using this checklist and maintains the site's damage log.
3. Annual expert inspection
Carried out at least once every twelve months by a technically competent person. In the UK the recognised benchmark is a SEMA-aligned, SARI accredited inspector. This is the report an HSE inspector will ask to see.
The findings this checklist catches most often
Certain faults recur across UK warehouses regardless of sector or racking manufacturer. These are the issues a SEMA-aligned inspector encounters most frequently, why each one matters, and the action required when it is identified.
1. Overloading
- Why it matters
- Exceeding the load capacity stated on the load notice is one of the most common root causes of racking damage. Bent beams and buckled uprights are the most common visible symptom.
- What to do
- Redistribute the load immediately, verify the actual load against the current load notice, and retrain warehouse staff on safe loading and unit load weights.
2. Missing or disengaged safety clips
- Why it matters
- Beams that aren't positively locked to the upright can lift out of their connectors when a pallet is caught during placement or retrieval — potentially causing a full bay collapse.
- What to do
- Replace missing or damaged clips immediately and treat as a priority defect. Every beam end must have its clip correctly engaged before the bay is reloaded.
3. Forklift impact damage
- Why it matters
- Forklift impact is the single most common cause of racking damage in UK warehouses, typically affecting the lower 1m of upright frames. Even minor impacts can significantly reduce an upright's load-carrying capacity.
- What to do
- Isolate the damaged bay, do not reload until repaired by a competent installer, and consider fitting column guards or end-of-aisle barriers to prevent recurrence.
4. Corrosion
- Why it matters
- Corrosion is more common in cold stores, coastal locations, food and chemical sites, and warehouses with washdown cleaning regimes. Structural section loss reduces load-carrying capacity even when the damage looks cosmetic.
- What to do
- Monitor closely, treat surface corrosion early, and replace any component showing structural section loss to the manufacturer's specification.
5. Missing or illegible load notices
- Why it matters
- A clear load notice is a legal requirement under PUWER 1998 and essential for warehouse staff to know the safe working load of each bay and level. Notices missing after a reconfiguration are a particularly common finding.
- What to do
- Reissue signage immediately and ensure it matches the actual current beam configuration — not the original as-installed layout.
6. Base plate and floor fixing failure
- Why it matters
- Cracked base plates, or loose or missing floor bolts, compromise the racking's stability under lateral load — the very loads a racking system relies on floor fixings to resist.
- What to do
- Isolate the affected bay and have base plates and fixings repaired or replaced to specification by a competent installer before the bay is reloaded.
7. Incorrect or ad-hoc configuration changes
- Why it matters
- Beams moved to non-standard heights, or bays reconfigured without re-issuing load notices, silently invalidate the original design calculations and the current load notice.
- What to do
- Any reconfiguration should trigger a fresh load notice and, ideally, a competent-person review before the bay is put back into use.
HSG76 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 place a clear duty on employers to maintain storage equipment — including pallet racking — in a safe condition. A documented programme of immediate impact reporting, PRRS-led weekly checks and an annual expert inspection by a SARI accredited inspector is the recognised way to demonstrate that duty has been met. See whether a racking inspection is a legal requirement for the statutory detail.
Checklist FAQs
Is this SEMA racking inspection checklist free?
Yes. The full 8-category checklist is set out on this page and the printable PDF version is free to download — we only ask for a name and email so we can send you the link. There is no charge and no obligation to book an inspection.
Who can use this checklist?
Anyone responsible for racking safety on site. It is written for the nominated Person Responsible for Racking Safety (PRRS) to use for weekly documented visual checks, but warehouse managers, health and safety officers and site supervisors all use it as a walk-round framework.
Does using this checklist replace a professional inspection?
No. HSG76 recommends an annual expert inspection by a technically competent person — in the UK that is a SEMA-aligned, SARI accredited inspector. This checklist supports your internal weekly visual checks; it is not a substitute for the annual expert inspection that HSE will ask to see.
How often should the checklist be completed?
Weekly, by the nominated PRRS, with the completed record signed and filed. Immediate reporting of any impact damage sits alongside it, and the annual expert inspection completes the three-tier regime described in HSG76 and BS EN 15635.
What damage tolerances does the checklist work to?
The SEMA figures used throughout: a maximum 3mm frontal (cross-aisle) upright deflection over a 1 metre gauge, 5mm lateral (down-aisle), 10mm on bracing members, Span/200 beam deflection under load and Span/1000 residual deformation once unloaded.
What do we do if the checklist identifies red damage?
Unload the affected bay and take it out of use immediately. It must not be re-loaded until the damaged component has been replaced or repaired to the manufacturer's specification. Amber damage should be repaired within a set timeframe, commonly four weeks, with the load reduced in the meantime.
Book your annual SEMA-aligned inspection
The checklist covers your weekly duty. The annual expert inspection is the document HSE asks to see. We inspect nationwide and issue a full risk-rated written report within 48 hours.