Your racking structures have been through the wear and tear of daily operations, so they’ve likely sustained damage. Damaged pallet racks present a safety concern for your team, equipment and products. 

Health and safety regulations for racking systems in Ontario emphasize the need for rack inspections and risk assessments. These surveys help locate and fix structural concerns, ensuring a safe environment.

Learn more about how to achieve racking structure compliance in Ontario.

Why Pallet Racking Inspections Are Necessary

Inspecting pallet racks regularly is required to:

• Follow government regulations: The Ontario Ministry of Labour requires facilities to be aware of their rack damage through regular inspections and maintenance plans. The Occupational Health and Safety Act of Ontario (OHSA) requires a professional engineer to perform a pre-start health and safety review (PSR) of racking structures.
• Adhere to the Canadian Standards Association’s (CSA) best practices: The CSA published user guidelines for racking systems (CSA A344:17) in Section 8.1.6. A health and safety professional, rack engineering specialist or rack vendor should complete the risk assessment. This assessment will determine how often your racking systems should be inspected, typically monthly for internal routine inspections.
•  Expert Reviews: The CSA guide explains that expert inspections are a key element of a rack inspection program as their perspective is developed over a large number of facilities and they are able to provide an audit of the quality and effectiveness of routine inspections. 

Meeting Compliance Requirements for Rack Engineering

Warehouses with racking systems in Ontario must follow various requirements to comply and avoid legal consequences. Bill C-45 holds owners personally responsible for complying with these laws.

According to OHSA requirements enforced by the Ministry of Labour, racking structures must be certified by an engineer through a PSR, or you can get an exemption from your racking manufacturer. Keep your PSR documents or exemption letter on file.

Once your racking is certified, an expert must inspect it annually per CSA regulations. The CSA also recommends monthly internal inspections.

Regulations also require facilities to have visible plaques stating the racking structure’s capacity.

How to Get a Pre-Start Health and Safety Review

A pre-start health and safety review evaluates your warehouse storage equipment — like pallet racking — to identify safety concerns. The PSR is required by the Ministry of Labour and promotes a safe working environment.

When your company needs a PSR, a certified engineer will inspect your racking systems, storage methods and facility. They’ll create a report with an engineer-stamped drawing of your pallet racks and facility layout. This report proves compliance with OHSA. New racking systems supplied by King include PSR documentation upfront, saving you the headache of getting a PSR months or years after the fact. 

You can get a PSR for your existing warehouse by requesting a pallet rack inspection from King Materials Handling. We have successfully brought warehouse racking systems up to compliance through the province of Ontario. 

Steps for Developing a Racking Maintenance Plan

A maintenance plan for your racking systems helps you identify and correct structural issues and other concerns to promote safety. Your maintenance plan should be:

• Based on your racking manufacturer’s specifications.
• Led by a professional.
• Completed at least once a year.

During these inspections, look for:

• Racking systems stocked over their capacity.
• Misaligned pallet loads.
• Loose, bent, deformed, sagging or broken uprights and beams.
• Cracks in the floor.
• Broken anchor bolts.
• Missing safety pins.
• Potential hazards such as pedestrian walkways on the back side of racks (would require backstop protection)
• General tidiness 
• Repeat damaged areas (suggesting more guarding, training or space is required). 

King Materials Handling Offers Pallet Racking Inspection Services

King Materials Handling helps industrial facilities in the Ontario area maintain compliance with pallet rack inspections. Our professionals will thoroughly inspect your racks to make sure they’re safe and stable.

Your business can take advantage of our rack inspection program regardless of your certification status. If your pallet racking is not certified, our engineers can bring it up to code. If your racking structure is certified, we can perform the yearly professional inspection required by the CSA.

Learn More About Racking Maintenance Today

King Materials Handling offers you professional rack engineering services. We can help with any pallet rack need, including installation, PSR, engineered drawings, capacity ratings and more. Our professionally trained crew performs these rack inspection and maintenance tasks.

For more information about our racking inspections, contact us online.