INAIL and ANIMA-AISEM’s in-depth guidance on pallet racking
In June 2026, INAIL published the document “Pallet Racking – Selection, Use and Maintenance: In-Depth Insights“, a new technical reference developed in collaboration with ANIMA-AISEM. It provides valuable practical guidance, addressing many of the questions and uncertainties that have emerged in recent years among companies, RSPPs, designers, maintenance technicians and warehouse managers.
The new document addresses the most common issues identified in practice through a question-and-answer format. It is designed to help organisations manage industrial racking safety more effectively throughout the entire life cycle of their systems, from design and everyday use to inspections, maintenance and documentation.
From technical guidance to practical applications
The INAIL technical guide published in 2024 provides comprehensive guidance on the selection, use and maintenance of pallet racking. The 2026 document goes a step further: it clarifies who is responsible, when actions should be taken, and how to ensure that the measures implemented are properly documented and traceable.
The new publication is organised into nine key areas:
- Legislation, standards and marking
- Professional roles
- Risk assessment
- Seismic design
- Installation, dismantling and reconfiguration
- Information, training and instruction
- Use and operation
- Inspection and maintenance
- Documentation
CE Marking and technical standards for static pallet racking
Among the most useful insights provided by INAIL in 2026 are several clarifications on the regulatory framework governing pallet racking.
Static pallet racking is generally not subject to CE marking, except in specific cases covered by the applicable legislation. This applies when the racking forms an integral part of an automated warehouse, in which case CE marking covers the racking and machinery as a complete system, or when the racking supports the roof or external walls of a warehouse.
INAIL also highlights the role of UNI and UNI EN technical standards. Although they are not legally binding, and there is currently no specific EU product directive covering racking, these standards represent the main reference for the design, installation, use and maintenance of industrial racking. Applying these standards is therefore essential to demonstrate compliance with the state of the art and enables companies to support a presumption of safety.
The 2026 update helps clarify the importance of industry-specific technical standards, even though they are not legal requirements.
The PRSES’s Central Role in Racking Safety
Particular attention is given to the PRSES (Person Responsible for Storage Equipment Safety), a role introduced by UNI EN 15635 to oversee the safe management of storage equipment.
The update clarifies that the PRSES is the key point of reference for all matters relating to racking safety throughout the entire life cycle of the systems. The PRSES coordinates inspections, monitors the condition of the racking, manages damage reports, and ensures that any maintenance or modification work is carried out in accordance with the appropriate procedures.
INAIL also emphasises that the PRSES must have the technical expertise required for the complexity of the warehouse and be familiar with the characteristics of the installed racking, the activities carried out in the warehouse, and the risks associated with goods handling. The PRSES is also responsible for selecting racking suppliers, coordinating with maintenance providers and specialist technicians, ensuring that operating procedures are followed, and maintaining records of the inspections and checks carried out.
Companies operating across multiple sites or running different work shifts require particular attention. In these cases, the document highlights the need to ensure effective safety management at every site and throughout all operating periods, appointing one or more PRSES according to the company’s organisational structure and ensuring effective communication and information sharing between the people involved.
With regard to training, the standard does not require a specific certification to take on the PRSES role. However, it does require the designated person to have the technical skills, experience and knowledge appropriate to their responsibilities. For this reason, it is essential that the employer appoint and train someone who is genuinely able to assess warehouse issues and coordinate the actions needed to keep the racking in a safe condition.
Better management of changes to racking systems
The INAIL update also addresses the reconfiguration of racking systems, where an existing configuration is changed to meet new operational requirements. This may include, for example, changes to load levels.
Every modification must be assessed and authorised before any work is carried out. The resulting configuration must therefore be approved either by the original supplier or by a suitably qualified technical professional who takes responsibility for the changes. This is particularly important because modifications of this kind can significantly affect the structural performance of the racking system, both in terms of load capacity and operational safety.
Competent technical professional and expert validator
UNI EN 15635 requires racking systems to undergo regular checks, including a technical inspection at least every 12 months carried out by a competent technical professional. The new INAIL document finally provides a clearer definition of this professional role.
The standard requires the involvement of a competent technical professional, but does not define their qualifications in detail. To address this gap, it refers to UNI 11636 and clarifies that the required competencies correspond to those of an expert validator.
This means that the appointed professional must have the technical expertise to assess not only any damage or defects, but also the overall compliance of the racking system, any modifications made over time, and whether the relevant documentation and inspection records are complete and up to date.
The update also clarifies that the technical professional must be able to produce a written report of the inspections, recording their findings, any issues identified and any corrective actions required.
This is an important clarification, as it helps companies better understand who is suitably qualified to support the PRSES with the annual inspection of their racking systems.
Beyond forklift certification: warehouse-specific training
The document also provides detailed guidance on training for operators who use materials-handling equipment in storage areas.
Having a valid forklift operator qualification is essential, but it does not, by itself, ensure that an operator can work safely in a particular warehouse. Every facility has its own operating conditions, procedures and layout, making additional site-specific instruction necessary beyond what is required to operate the equipment.
Operators should therefore receive appropriate instruction on the company’s material-handling procedures, loading and unloading operations, the permitted use of the racking systems, and how to properly report impacts, damage or potentially unsafe situations.
Operators should also have a clear understanding of load capacities, approved configurations and traffic rules within the working aisles, as these factors directly affect the safety of both the racking systems and those working in the area.
Safety also depends on the company’s ability to ensure that operators are properly instructed in the warehouse’s specific operating procedures and that these procedures are consistently followed in day-to-day activities.
Seismic safety of racking systems: particular attention to existing installations
The document places particular emphasis on the seismic safety of pallet racking, an issue that concerns both new installations and existing warehouses.
Seismic design must account for the characteristics of the installation site, the structural performance required and the intended conditions of use. However, meeting the requirements at the time of installation does not, by itself, guarantee that the necessary safety standards will be maintained over time.
Many existing racking systems may have been extended or reconfigured over the years, with changes to their height, load capacities or components. These modifications can alter the conditions originally considered in the design. In older installations, the technical documentation may also be incomplete or no longer available.
For this reason, INAIL emphasises the importance of checking that the original design documents, structural calculations and information on the seismic actions considered are available. Where this documentation is missing, or where the system has been modified over time, a new racking compliance certification is required to verify its suitability for the current operating conditions.
Seismic safety depends on more than the steel structure itself. It also relies on proper installation, secure anchoring, the configuration actually in use and compliance with the load capacities specified in the original design.
For companies, this means that seismic performance should not be assessed only when the racking is purchased, but reviewed periodically throughout the system’s service life, particularly when structural modifications, changes in operations or gaps in the documentation occur.
Documentation and traceability: the key theme of the 2026 update
A consistent theme throughout INAIL’s 2026 publications is the importance of documenting and keeping a clear record of activities carried out on racking systems.
Whether it concerns periodic inspections, maintenance, operator training or system reconfigurations, the document stresses the importance of keeping all relevant information up to date and accessible. This makes it possible to trace the technical history of the racking system and demonstrate that it has been properly managed throughout its service life.
Key documents include the operation and maintenance manual, load signs, inspection and damage records, maintenance records, approvals for modifications, and documentation of staff training and instruction.
INAIL’s focus on these aspects reflects a common issue in warehouses: the difficulty of finding complete and up-to-date information on installed racking systems, particularly when the system has been modified over the years or when responsibility for its management has passed between different members of the organisation.
Documentation is therefore much more than an administrative requirement. Keeping complete and up-to-date records is essential to ensuring continuity in the safe management of the racking system, supporting monitoring activities and providing a reliable basis for technical assessments when changes are made, inspections are carried out or incidents occur.
INAIL makes the principle clear: carrying out inspections, maintenance and training is not enough. Companies must also be able to demonstrate when these activities took place, who carried them out, what they found and what corrective action, if any, was taken.
An opportunity to assess the current condition of your warehouse
The 2026 INAIL update does not introduce any new legal requirements. Instead, it provides important guidance on how to apply technical standards correctly and manage the safety of industrial racking systems effectively.
Compliance is not determined solely by the quality of the racking system itself. It also depends on how effectively the company manages its use, maintenance, inspections, training and documentation throughout its service life.
For many companies, this is an opportunity to take a closer look at the actual condition of their warehouse, identify any issues and put in place a more effective, safer and better-documented system for managing their racking.
Source: INAIL – Pallet racking systems: selection, use and maintenance – In-depth insights, health and safety series, 2026.
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