Impact protection for shelf racks
Buying Tips
- Suitable for indoor use thanks to powder coating
- Available in 400, 800 or 1,200 mm height.
- Angular shape offers 2-sided protection
- Robust thanks to 5 mm steel plate with powder coating
- Angle profile for two-sided protection
- Signal colours ensure high warning effect
- Robust thanks to 5 mm steel plate with powder coating
- U-profile offers protection on three sides
- Signal colours ensure high warning effect
- Installation tool for easy fitting and removal of the impact protection
- Made from hard-wearing HDPE plastic
- TÜV-certified rack leg protection made from MEMAPLEX® for side and frontal collisions
- Honeycomb structure dissipates impact energy without damaging the material
- Low space requirement
- Impact protection for racking supports in corner and passage areas
- Angle shape with 1 guide roller
- Guide roller deflects lateral impact forces
- Impact protection for racking supports in corner and passage areas
- U-profile with 2 guide rollers
- Guide rollers deflect lateral impact forces
Rack protection: How to find the right solution
Pallet rack protectors prevent costly damage to storage racks and equipment and can even save lives in the event of an emergency. That is why warehouse rack protectors are often a mandatory requirement in storage areas with high industrial vehicle and pedestrian foot traffic. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends rack protection be installed wherever appropriate to minimise the risk of accident and injury.
In our online shop, you will find racking leg and corner protectors, full and side collision protection as well as a range of other solutions for impact deflection. We also offer industrial shelving units for a range of applications. All of our rack protection solutions have a minimum height of 300mm and meet the health and safety recommendations of the widely adopted SEMA design codes and HSG76 guidelines.
1. Select appropriate rack protection for the designated storage area
In order to protect all shelving components effectively and in accordance with UK health and safety in the workplace standards, our warehouse rack protectors are designed to meet the specific needs of many different storage environments.
Edge and End-of-rack collision protectors
Racking edge and corner protectors can reliably secure passageways between shelving units with impact protection and deflection capabilities. The angle profiles are precisely cut to work as rack post or end protectors for vertical shelving units and are available in a right-angle or U-shape. They can also be firmly anchored to the floor with screws.
Some of our available rack protection solutions are equipped with moveable guide rollers made from sturdy plastic. In the event of a side collision, the impact force is dissipated and dampened via the rotational movement of the vertically attached roller. Therefore, these models are also suitable as impact protection for grids and lattice partitions.
Pallet rack leg and post protectors
Pallet rack post and column protectors are predominantly made of shock-absorbing plastic and are suitable for indoor and outdoor use. When equipped, collision protection reliably dissipates impact forces away from the shelf post. This is made possible by a movable, compressible shock core that can absorb impact forces of up to 2.4 tons.
To install pallet racking upright protectors, which are suitable for all common stud structures, they only need to be attached to the individual shelf supports. Floor installation is not necessary. Compression and non-slip rubbers provide a secure and reliable hold for vertical posts. Some easy-fit models can simply be clicked onto the shelf post.
2. Choosing the right material for rack collision protection
Rack upright and edge post protectors available from us are typically suitable for indoor and outdoor use and are designed with standard black and yellow warning markings. However, depending on the manufacturing material, each solution offers different properties:
- Reliably absorbs impact shock
- Long lifespan
- Moisture-resistant
- Temperature-resistant to -40 °C
- Temperature-resistant from -10 °C to +50 °C
- Flexible construction
- Recyclable
- Shock and wear-resistant
- Powder coating for enhanced resilience
3. FAQ on rack collision protection
There are various legal regulations in the UK that apply both directly and generally to the safe operation of storage racks. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers have a general duty to ensure all employees have a safe work environment to operate in. As storage units are considered work equipment, they are also included in the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998 which states that all equipment must be regularly inspected and maintained.
If forklifts, which can pose a particular risk to the integrity of shelving units, are also operated in the warehouse, you may need to comply with additional regulations. That could include BS EN15635, 9.4.2.3, requiring a technically competent person to conduct site inspections and submit reports at intervals of no more than 12 months.
Storage racks are subject to regular rack inspection in accordance with BS EN 15635 and are among the work equipment for which a risk assessment is required. Especially when operating industrial trucks, there is a risk that load-bearing shelf elements can be damaged over time as a result of collisions, after which the safe operation of the racks is no longer assured. In the worst-case scenario, the shelving unit might collapse entirely, posing a significant safety risk for nearby workers.
Rack protection therefore performs several critical functions in warehouses:
- Marking of critical components: e.g. shelf corners or sides so that they can be easier navigated and avoided.
- Absorbing impact forces in the event of a collision: Depending on the rack collision protection used, several tonnes of impact energy can be safely absorbed.
- Insurance compliance: Business insurance might refuse a payout claim if it is found appropriate rack protection was not installed.
There is no direct regulation in the UK for the installation of rack protection specifically. Instead, employers should consult generally followed guidance such as HSG76 and SEMA Design Codes. While not mandatory, if you fail to meet legislative requirements for general health and safety in the workplace, these documents can be used to bring legal action against your business.