Answer: Get your racking inspected every 12 months by a competent third party, and do a monthly check in house in between. That is the easiest way to stay on top of safety and compliance. 

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When it comes to warehouse racking inspections, a lot of businesses have the same questions. How often do they need to be done, what does the inspection actually involve, and who is responsible for making sure everything is up to standard? To help break it down properly, we spoke with Shayne Grissell, Senior Rack Inspector at Macrack. Shayne has been with Macrack since 2005 and brings 21 years of hands-on industry experience, from working with racking systems through to inspecting damage, identifying compliance issues, and helping businesses get their warehouses back up to standard. In this interview, he talks through what businesses need to know about annual racking inspections, common problems found during audits, and why staying on top of it matters for both safety and operations.

How often should warehouse racking be inspected in Australia?

 Every 12 months, you should have an inspection done by a competent third party. That is the main one. On top of that, we always say do a monthly check in house as well, because if someone sees something, you want to get onto it before it turns into a bigger issue.

Is a 12-month racking inspection actually required?

 Yeah, it is. It is part of the standard. A lot of people hear the 12 months and ask if that is really right, and yes, that is the requirement. It is one of those things that should just be done and kept up to date.

Why do you need to inspect racking every 12 months?

 Basically, to make sure your racking is safe and up to standard. That is really what it comes back to. You want it safe for your employees to work around, and you want to know it is still doing what it is meant to do.

Should businesses check their racking in between annual inspections?

Definitely. We always advise people to do a monthly inspection in house as well. If they see something, they can get in touch straight away. It might be damage, it might be a missing pin, it might be something that does not look right, but it is better to pick it up early.

Can warehouse staff do their own racking inspections?

They can do their own checks, yeah, but for the 12 monthly it should be done by a competent third party. That is the difference. In house checks are good for keeping an eye on things, but the proper annual inspection still needs to be done by someone who knows exactly what they are looking for.

What does a competent third party actually mean?

It basically means someone who knows the product, knows what the rack is meant to be doing, and knows what damage they are looking at. If you send someone new in and tell them to go do an audit, they probably would not have a clue what they are looking at. A big part of it is also being able to judge whether something is minor, needs fixing soon, or is critical.

What happens if you leave racking inspections too long?

Usually, you just end up with more to fix. If you stay on top of it every 12 months, you have probably got less damage to deal with each year. If you leave it three or four years, by the time you get around to it, you could be looking at a much bigger repair job and a lot more interference with day to day operations.

Do monthly checks replace the annual inspection?

No, they do not. The monthly checks are a good habit and they help you stay on top of things, but they do not replace the yearly inspection. You really want both.

Why does this matter from a compliance point of view?

Because more businesses are getting asked for it. There have been plenty of cases where someone turns up from Worksafe, sees the racking has not been audited, and gives them notice to get it done. So it is one of those things where it is much easier to just keep it current than get caught out later.

Contact Macrack Today

If you need a warehouse racking inspection, audit, repairs, or help getting your system back up to standard, contact Macrack today. Our team can inspect all major brands of racking, identify any damage or compliance issues, and help you with repairs, reporting, and ongoing annual audit reminders.