Monthly Rack-Walk Template 12 Checks in Under 20 Minutes

Why a Monthly Rack-Walk Belongs in Every Warehouse

If you operate pallet racking in Australia, you’re already required to have your racking inspected by a competent person at least every 12 months under AS 4084.

But waiting 12 months between structured checks is where many sites get caught out. Most damage happens day-to-day:

• A forklift nudges a frame and no-one reports it

• A beam level gets moved “temporarily”

• Pallets slowly creep over load limits or beam clearances

That’s exactly where a monthly rack-walk template earns its keep – a quick, structured walkthrough that helps you catch obvious issues early, back up your WHS obligations, and support your formal pallet racking inspections and certification.

Better Storage Systems’ own load sign guidance already calls for regular checks on correct use, clearances, load limits, beam safety clips and impact damage, in line with AS 4084.

This article turns that into a simple, 12-step, under-20-minute routine your team can actually use.

What a Monthly Rack-Walk Is (and Isn’t)

A monthly rack walk is:

• A quick, structured visual safety check of your pallet racking

• Done by an internal “racking safety champion” or supervisor

• Logged, repeatable and easy to train

It is not:

• A replacement for your annual third-party racking safety audit

• A full engineering assessment or certification

• A licence to ignore obvious red-risk damage between inspections

Industry guidance and AS 4084 summaries are consistent:

• Racking must be inspected regularly and at least every 12 months by a competent person

• More frequent internal checks (often monthly) are strongly recommended, especially in busy, high-traffic warehouses.

Your monthly rack-walk sits neatly between daily operator vigilance and the formal annual inspection Better Storage Systems can provide through racking safety audit & repair services.

Who Should Run the Rack-Walk – and How Often?

For most Australian warehouses:

• Frequency: Once a month as a minimum

• Person responsible: A trained internal lead – often the warehouse manager, leading hand, or “Person Responsible for Racking Safety” equivalent

• Time commitment: Around 15–20 minutes for a medium-sized warehouse if you follow a set path

High-traffic sites (3PL, FMCG, large DCs) may decide to move to fortnightly rack-walks in high-risk zones such as dock areas and main cross-aisles.

Get Set Up: What You Need Before You Start

Before you roll this out across the team, put a simple framework in place:

• A basic floor plan of your racking runs (even a hand sketch)

• Your latest pallet racking inspection checklist (Free PDF) from Better Storage Systems — use this for more detailed audits and annual inspections

• Current pallet racking load signs at the end of each run

• A simple traffic-light damage scale (e.g. Monitor / Repair soon / Stop use now)

• A way to log findings: spreadsheet, app, or printed sheet

Better Storage Systems’ load sign templates already emphasise: correct use, clearances, loads within SWL, clips fitted, and damage due to impact – all perfect anchors for your monthly routine.

The Monthly Rack-Walk Template: 12 Checks in Under 20 Minutes

Suggested flow: Start at one corner of the warehouse, walk every main aisle once, and finish at dispatch or your highest-risk zone. For each check, you’re scanning for obvious issues – you’re not measuring every frame with a tape.

Use this as your standard rack-walk template.

1. Aisles and Access: Can People and Forklifts Move Safely?

What to look for

• Pallets, bins or packaging encroaching into aisles

• Blocked emergency exits, fire equipment or eye-wash stations

• Pallets overhanging into travel paths

Why it matters

Blocked aisles and “bulging” pallet positions force forklifts into tight manoeuvres and increase impact risk. WHS and AS 4084 guidance both emphasise adequate clearances and safe access around racking.

If you find an issue:

• Tag the location, move obstructions, and call it out in the next toolbox talk.

2. Uprights at Impact Zone: Any Obvious Bends or Hits?

What to look for

• Dents, twists or kinks, especially in the bottom metre of uprights

• Torn, creased or missing bracing members

• Rust or cracked welds

This is where most forklift damage shows up first. External checklists and AS 4084 summaries all highlight upright damage as a critical inspection item.

If you find an issue:

• Red-risk damage (severe bend or obvious structural compromise): offload the bay and isolate immediately; escalate to Better Storage Systems for assessment and repair.

• Amber damage: flag for prompt engineering review and track in your log.

3. Is the Racking Plumb and Straight?

What to look for

Stand at the end of the aisle and sight along the frames:

• Frames leaning forwards, backwards or sideways

• “Snaking” or uneven lines of uprights

• Bays that look visibly out of line compared to neighbours

AS 4084-based guidance expects regular checks for out-of-plumb and deformation as part of inspection regimes.

If you find an issue:

• Treat clear lean as at least amber and have it checked by a competent person.

• Note any recurring problem areas (e.g. near dock doors).

4. Baseplates and Anchors: Is the System Firmly Attached?

What to look for

• Missing floor anchors

• Loose, sheared or rusted anchors

• Cracked or distorted baseplates

• Visible gaps between baseplate and floor

Anchoring and baseplate condition are critical to overall stability and are specifically called out in racking audit checklists.

If you find an issue:

• Treat missing or obviously failed anchors as red risk for that bay or run.

• Log the location and escalate for repair.

5. Beams and Connectors: Any Sag, Damage or Mis-Seating?

What to look for

• Beams visibly sagging under load

• Damage or distortion at end connectors or hooks

• Beams not fully seated in the upright (gaps at the connector)

International and Australian checklists both highlight beam condition and seating as a core inspection item.

If you find an issue:

• Stop using any bay where a beam looks badly distorted or not fully engaged.

• Have a qualified racking specialist inspect and, if needed, replace beams.

6. Safety Clips and Locks: Are They All There?

What to look for

• Missing beam safety clips or locking pins

• Clips that are bent, hanging loose or obviously not engaged

Better Storage Systems’ own load sign notes make beam safety clips one of the items that must be checked during regular inspections.

If you find an issue:

• Treat missing clips as an immediate repair required item.

• Replace from your onsite supply and note the bay in your log.

7. Load Signs: Present, Legible, and Still Correct?

What to look for

• A load sign at the end of every run of pallet racking

• Signs that are clean, readable and not hidden behind stock or guardrails

• Beam configuration on the sign still matching what you see in front of you

AS 4084 summaries and state regulator guidance make it clear: every installation needs clear load signage that matches the installed configuration.

If you find an issue:

• No sign, unreadable sign, or obvious mismatch between sign and rack layout = non-compliant.

• Capture photos and engage Better Storage Systems to review load ratings and issue updated pallet racking load signs.

8. Pallet Condition and Compatibility

What to look for

• Broken or missing boards, split stringers, badly damaged pallets

• Non-standard pallets, skids or bins being stored where only standard pallets were assumed in the design

• Pallets “sitting” on safety bars only, not adequately supported on beams

AS 4084-based user guides expect pallets to be sound, correctly supported and within design assumptions.

If you find an issue:

• Remove obviously unsafe pallets from racking.

• Note recurring compatibility issues – you may need to adjust beam lengths, pallet supports or even move these SKUs to more suitable selective pallet racking systems or mesh decks.

9. Overhang, Clearances and Overloading

What to look for

• Pallets overhanging beams more than intended

• Product fouling sprinklers, lighting or building services

• Pallets stacked higher than the safe clear height for that beam level

• Bays that “look heavy” compared to the stated safe working loads

Racking standards and inspection guides consistently require checks that safe working loads and clearances are maintained.

If you find an issue:

• Offload any obviously overloaded or unsafe pallet position.

• Use your pallet racking load signs and engineering data to confirm whether the loading is acceptable.

• Capture photos and address the root cause – e.g. supplier packaging, internal pallet building, or poor slotting.

10. Protectors and Barriers: Doing Their Job or Hiding Damage?

What to look for

• Bent, crushed or missing rack end protectors, column guards and corner guards

• Protectors pushed hard up against uprights (which can conceal frame damage)

• Floor-mounted barriers missing fixings

AS 4084-aligned designs typically include protectors in high-risk areas; ongoing inspection ensures they’re still effective.

If you find an issue:

• Treat badly damaged protectors as “impact likely occurred” – inspect the upright behind them or call in Better Storage Systems to check.

• Replace damaged protectors promptly; they’re sacrificial, but they must still work.

11. Unapproved Changes and Missing Components

What to look for

• Beam levels that have clearly been moved since the last sign or drawing

• Random extra beams, safety bars or mixed-brand components

• Removed bracing, bolts or clips “to make space”

AS 4084 summaries and Better Storage Systems documentation both state that racking installations must not be altered without supplier or engineering approval.

If you find an issue:

• Treat any unapproved modification as at least an amber risk.

• Freeze further changes and schedule a design review and racking safety audit & repair visit.

12. Reporting, Tagging and Follow-Up

Your monthly rack-walk is only as good as what happens next.

At the end of the walk:

• Log all findings (even minor ones) in a simple register

• Tag any red-risk or high concern bays – use physical tags or signage so operators know not to use them

• Assign actions and due dates – repairs, sign updates, training refreshers

• File the month’s sheet with your pallet racking inspection checklist (Free PDF) and annual inspection reports to build a clear audit trail

Well-run warehouses treat this as part of their safety culture, not a one-off project. External audit providers consistently highlight that sites with structured, logged internal checks tend to have fewer major defects at annual inspection.

Building the Rack-Walk into Everyday Operations

To make your monthly rack walk template stick:

• Add it to your WHS calendar and management review

• Rotate responsibility among trained supervisors so knowledge is spread

• Use findings to shape toolbox talks and driver training

• Link recurring issues (e.g. dock impacts) to layout changes or extra rack end, corner and upright protectors

Over time, you’ll see fewer “surprises” at annual inspections, stronger compliance with AS 4084, and fewer near-misses around your pallet racking. And if your walk ever reveals something you’re not comfortable with, Better Storage Systems can step in with a detailed racking safety audit & repair program to get you back to green.