Racking standards and your legal obligations

If you operate a warehouse with steel storage racking, your business has legal obligations that must be complied with. The most recent Australian standards update AS4084.2:2023, made some important changes. Here’s what you need to know.

Annual inspections are mandatory. All selective pallet racking must be inspected every 12 months.

Inspectors must be competent. The standard specifies that inspections can only be carried out by people with the right training and experience.

Records must be kept. All inspection and repair records need to be maintained for the life of the racking system. No records means no proof of compliance.

Our expertise isn’t a claim, it’s a credential. Decades of real data and delivery backs every word. IRIA has been a contributing member of the AS4084 standards committee since its inception. That depth of knowledge is what separates us from someone with a checklist. Our inspectors are trained to our own standard and we never cut corners, because our reputation depends on every report we put our name to.

Our site safety checklist includes additional recommendations for optimal site safety.

Beyond the human toll, a racking collapse can expose an Australian company to WHS investigations and prosecutions. This includes possible industrial manslaughter charges and multi-million-dollar fines under harmonised WHS laws. As well as damaged stock, business interruption, rising insurance costs, compensation claims and reputational damage.

Under Work, Health and Safety legislation employers must provide and maintain a safe working environment. The relevant regulations classified racking as Plant which means it falls squarely within your obligations. The penalties for serious breaches are significant – up to $3 million for companies and $600,000 for individuals. An annual racking inspection is considerably cheaper.

Read more about everyone’s legal duties under the Act →

An annual independent racking inspection with IRIA satisfies the AS4084.1:2023 requirement for a trained, competent inspector. When we inspect your racking, we apply the very standard we helped develop. Every inspection is fully documented and available through IRIA’s own online platform RackMaster ^® – so your compliance records are always up to date and easy to access.

View the laws applicable in each Australian state. (link / table / drop down)

As well as meeting Australian standards, IRIA carry out inspections for the following International standards:

(table)
Canada: CSA A3441, 1-05
Europe: EN 15635 & EN15620
Europe (users code): FEM 10.2.04
New Zealand: AS4084.1 and AS4084.2
United Kingdom: BS -EN 15512:2009
United Sates of America: RMI -MH16.1:2008