A practical guide to AS 4084:2023 racking inspections in Australia

How often, who’s responsible, common failures, repair steps, and WorkCover expectations.

To get some straight answers on racking inspections, we sat down with Shayne Grissell from Macrack racking inspection division in Brisbane, who’s been in the industry for over 20 years. Shayne spends most of his time carrying out audits and arranging repairs across Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Toowoomba, so he knows exactly what inspectors look for, what WorkCover expects, and what happens when businesses let things slide. In this article, he explains in his own words why inspections matter, how often they need to be done, and the risks of leaving them too long.

Racking Inspection (Quick Facts)

• A racking inspection checks that warehouse racking is safe, secure, and compliant with AS 4084:2023.
• Inspectors look for damage to uprights, beams, locking pins, and whether safe workload signs are in place.
• Businesses should do monthly in-house checks to spot issues early.
• A competent third-party inspection is required every 12 months (that’s written into the standards)
• Responsibility usually falls on the business owner or operator to make sure inspections are done.

Regular audits prevent collapses, keep employees safe, and help businesses stay compliant with WorkCover requirements

Keeping Racking Safe and Up to Standard

Racking inspections are all about making sure your storage systems are safe and up to standard. It’s not just about ticking a compliance box, it’s about keeping your employees safe while they’re working around the racks. Every system should be compliant with the standards that apply, whether it’s the latest 2023 version or an older one, depending on when the racking was first installed.

How Often Do I Need a Racking Inspection in Australia?

The rules are clear: every 12 months, racking must be inspected by a competent third party. That’s written into the standards and isn’t optional. On top of that, it’s good practice to do monthly in-house checks. If you see something that doesn’t look right, you can get in touch before it turns into a bigger issue. But the annual third-party inspection is the critical one.

Who Is Responsible for Pallet Racking Inspections, Owner, Landlord, or Warehouse Manager?

Responsibility falls on the end user; the business owner or whoever has racking installed. Sometimes it can get tricky, like if racking was already in a leased building, but in most cases, it’s the business owner’s job to make sure inspections are happening. Owners usually make the first contact, then pass it onto the warehouse manager, but ultimately, the obligation starts with them.

What Inspectors Look For: Uprights, Beams, Pins & Safe Workload Signs

The standard that applies is AS 4084:2023, which covers steel storage racking. Any new installation or relocation comes under this version. One of the most important requirements is safe workload signage. Every rack must have a sign showing weight limits and the date of the next inspection. Without it, people are loading racks without knowing what they’re rated for, and that gets flagged as critical.

What’s Involved in an Inspection

Inspections themselves are fairly straightforward for racking inspectors. It’s a visual process, walking up and down every rack, checking for defects, and mapping them out on a floor plan so the customer can follow along with the report. The issues that come up most often are damaged uprights or beams, missing locking pins, and a lack of safe workload signs.

Racking Inspection: Fast Facts

• Standard: AS 4084:2023 (steel storage racking)
• Frequency: Every 12 months by a competent third party
• In-house checks: Monthly (spot & report damage)
• Must-have: Safe workload signs with load limits & next audit date
• Common faults: Bent uprights, beam damage, missing locking pins, no signage

 

Racking Damage Categories Explained (Green, Orange, Red)

When defects are found, they’re categorised as green, orange, or red.

• Red means critical, the rack must be unloaded and repaired straight away. Even missing signage can be red.
• Orange means fix as soon as possible, but it’s not immediately critical.
• Green means monitor ongoing, and if it gets worse, it moves up to orange or red.

(Image source: Safe Work https://safework.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0005/143825/pallet-racking-flowchart.jpg )

Competent Inspectors and Experience

Businesses can and should do their own in-house checks, but the official 12-month audit has to be done by a competent third party. The standards don’t spell out exact training, they just say “competent person.” In practice, that means someone with years in the industry, who knows the product, understands what the racking is meant to do, and can judge whether damage is critical. For most business owners and warehouse managers having a racking company complete the yearly inspection provides that extra level of peace of mind that the business has done its due diligence to create a safe workplace for their staff and product.

Racking Inspection Prep Checklist

• Clear aisles (forklift access)
• Provide prior repair records & last audit report
• Confirm beam heights & configurations match current use
• Flag known impacts/damage since last audit
• Ensure safe workload signs are present (or list missing)

 

Record Keeping and Compliance Letters

Record keeping is a big part of compliance. Inspections should be documented and kept for at least seven years. Once repairs are done, Macrack issues a compliance letter stating the racking has been repaired and audited as of that date. That way, if inspectors walk in, the business has paperwork showing they’re up to date.

Risks of Neglecting Inspections

Neglecting inspections carries serious risks. Damaged racking can fail, leading to collapse, injuries, and major stock losses. We have walked into sites where the damage was so severe it felt unsafe to even be there. One food storage site had around 100 damaged uprights in its freezer section. Staff were uneasy using it, and rightly so. Macrack completed the audit, carried out the repairs, and brought everything back up to standard, giving staff peace of mind that they’d go home safe at the end of the day.

WorkCover and Surprise Audits

WorkCover is paying closer attention too. More businesses are reporting surprise inspections where WorkCover finds racks aren’t audited and gives just two weeks to have it done. Once they’ve flagged a site, they usually come back the following few years to make sure inspections are still happening. Most businesses comply quickly, because the alternative is fines or even shutdowns until repairs are completed.

Repairs and Who Should Carry Them Out

When damage is identified, repairs can be handled by Macrack or by a competent person in the business. For jobs over $3,300, a QBCC licence is required. Some customers choose to do their own small fixes, sending before-and-after photos, but most prefer Macrack to handle it for peace of mind and speed, especially if WorkCover is involved.

Long-Term Benefits of Regular Inspections

The long-term benefits of regular inspections are clear. By staying on top of it every year, damage stays minimal and easy to fix. Leave it for three or four years, and you could be looking at weeks of disruptive repairs. In the case mentioned previously with 100 damaged uprights it required three full weeks onsite fixing years of accumulated damage. Regular inspections avoid that kind of downtime.

The Impact of a Collapse

Collapses are the worst-case scenario. They’re expensive to clean up, time-consuming to fix, and far more dangerous than addressing minor issues early. It’s always cheaper and safer to prevent them.

Making Inspections Easier

To make life easier for businesses, Macrack now keeps customers in a calendar, calling a week before inspections are due and booking them in. It’s a system that works better for everyone. And it’s not limited to Macrack products, we audit and can arrange repairs for all major brands like Dexion and Colby.

Being a racking manufacturer as well as an inspection provider means Macrack can offer a full service: audits, reports, quotes, parts, and repairs. Many standalone auditors can’t do that, leaving customers to figure it out themselves.

Safety, Compliance and Peace of Mind

At the end of the day, racking inspections are about safety, compliance, and peace of mind. Done properly and regularly, they protect staff, protect stock, and keep warehouses running smoothly without costly disruptions.

Get Your Racking Inspected Every 12 months

As Shayne explained in our chat, inspections aren’t just about compliance, they’re about making sure staff are safe, stock is protected, and operations keep running without disruption. With regular checks and proper record keeping, you avoid downtime, hefty repair bills, and the risk of collapse. Shayne’s advice is simple: get your racking inspected every 12 months by a competent third party, do your in-house checks, and deal with repairs as they come up. It’s the safest, most cost-effective way to look after your warehouse. Contact the team at Macrack today for racking inspections in Brisbane, across South East Queensland and in Sydney NSW on 1800 048 821.