Rack inspection to DIN EN 15635: obligations, intervals, procedure
Storage racks are work equipment and must be inspected regularly. The DIN EN 15635 standard and the German Industrial Safety Regulation set the framework. This guide summarises the duties, the deadlines and how a rack inspection works.
Contents
Legal framework
The German Industrial Safety Regulation (BetrSichV) obliges employers to provide work equipment safely and have it inspected regularly. For storage racks, DIN EN 15635 specifies the requirements for operating, maintaining and inspecting static racking installations.
Which inspections are there?
The standard distinguishes several levels of monitoring – from ongoing visual checks by warehouse staff to a formal expert inspection.
The decisive element is the annual inspection by a qualified person (rack inspector), whose findings must be documented.
- Ongoing checks: immediate reporting of damage by staff
- Regular visual inspection: by a nominated responsible person (PRSES)
- Expert inspection: at least annually by a competent person, documented
The damage traffic-light system: green, amber, red
Findings are classified using a traffic-light system. It rates the risk and defines how urgently action must be taken.
- Green: minor deviation, keep under observation
- Amber: repair the damage, area still usable – arrange the repair promptly
- Red: dangerous damage – immediately unload, cordon off and repair the bay
Typical findings
Most damage is caused by forklift impacts, overloading or missing load notices. A good inspection covers these points systematically.
- Deformed uprights and braces (impact damage)
- Missing or illegible load labelling
- Overloaded shelves, missing shelf locks
- Out-of-plumb racks, loosened floor anchors
Preventing damage
Impact protection on corner uprights, clearly visible load signs and trained staff significantly reduce the damage rate. Choosing the right racking system with high inherent stability – such as META CLIP – also lowers the risk.