A Bent Rack Upright Needs Action Before the Next Load

Controls to confirm

• Report and identify: tell the person responsible for racking safety immediately about any impact, bent upright, displaced beam or missing connector lock. Record the exact aisle and bay and what happened. Do not wait for the next scheduled inspection or assume a small-looking dent is harmless.
• Keep people and loads clear: stop loading the affected location and prevent access to the danger area pending assessment. A competent person must determine the damage category and required response. Where safety is affected, arrange controlled offloading and isolation; do not send workers beneath suspect loads or climb the rack to investigate.
• Repair and verify: keep unsafe racking out of use until remedial work is complete and it is confirmed safe. Use the supplier's advice and authorised competent personnel rather than improvised straightening or alterations. Record the assessment and repairs, and review impact protection and truck clearances to prevent another strike.

Today’s action

Before the next warehouse shift, confirm the racking-safety contact and damage-reporting route with the team. From a safe ground-level position, check one rack aisle for visible damage and report any concern immediately.

Source guidance

Authoritative guidance checked 21 October 2026. Apply the legal requirements and approved procedures for your location.

• HSE — Warehousing and storage, HSG76: paragraphs 639–653, racking protection, immediate damage reporting, competent inspections and damage classification
• HSE — Warehousing and storage: Keep it safe, INDG412: falling-object exclusion, racking inspections, offloading unsafe racking and repair records