Shelf inspection and shelf safety according to DS/EN 15635
The annual expert inspection continuous self-inspection and red-yellow-green classification of damage
The shelves are the skeleton of the warehouse, and they are dimensioned with safety margins – but the margins disappear quickly when a truck fork has hit a pillar. An apparently small dent in a front pillar can significantly reduce its load capacity, and because shelf sections share the load, one weak pillar can threaten an entire section. That's why there's a pan-European standard for the use and maintenance of stationary steel shelves: DS/EN 15635. The Work Environment Authority's general requirement that technical aids must be maintained and inspected responsibly is implemented in practice through that standard.
§The annual expert inspection
According to DS/EN 15635, a technically competent person must conduct an inspection of the shelving system at most 12 months apart. The inspection must result in a written report to the warehouse manager with observations and suggestions for the necessary improvements. The competent person can be an external shelving inspector or an internally trained employee with documented knowledge — what matters is that the person can professionally assess damage and deviations. The report is also documentation of the employer's obligation to maintain the equipment responsibly.
§Green, yellow, red: damage classification
The standard's best-known tool is the traffic light classification of damage. It makes the assessment consistent from warehouse to warehouse and removes the discussion about how bad 'slightly crooked' really is:
| Level | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Green | Damage within limit values | Recorded and monitored – assessed again at the next inspection |
| Yellow (orange) | Farlig skade, men ikke akut | Relieve and repair as quickly as possible — in practice within a few weeks; do not put new load on before correction |
| Red | Serious injury | Relieve and cordone off the section IMMEDIATELY — must not be used before repair |
Note the logic: a green damage is not 'nothing' — it is registered and must be followed because if it worsens it moves up to yellow. And repair means replacement of damaged components with original parts or manufacturer-approved alternatives; a bent pole must not just be straightened because the steel has lost strength.
§Continuous self-inspection
The annual inspection doesn't catch the collision that happened on Tuesday. Therefore, the standard also recommends ongoing visual control in everyday work — typically as a fixed routine where a designated employee periodically walks through the system for new damage, and where all truck drivers have a duty to immediately report any collision. Culture is the critical point: a reported collision costs a pole; a hidden collision can cost a collapse.
- 01Report any collision immediately — without liability questions
- 02Check that load signs are posted, legible and complied with
- 03Look for bent/deformed posts and struts especially in the bottom 1-2 metres
- 04Check that beams are correctly positioned in the hooks and that lock pins/safety pins are in place
- 05Look for overloading: sagging beams and pallets sticking out over the sides
- 06Keep the aisles free so the truck is not forced close to the pillars
§Who has the responsibility?
The employer has overall responsibility for shelving being installed according to the supplier's instructions properly anchored and maintained. But in everyday life shelf safety is a shared responsibility: the truck driver reporting the impact; the warehouse worker responding to the bent stringer; the warehouse manager prioritizing the repair and ordering the annual inspection. In warehouse safety courses shelf inspection is therefore not a side issue — it is one of the competencies that directly prevents the most serious accidents in warehouses.
“The shelf doesn't say when it's about to give up – that's why we look ahead before it needs to say anything.”
— Shelf inspector's principle