Storage and shelving

Why storage is a specific risk

Warehouses concentrate heavy loads several meters high, with forklift traffic, pedestrians, and high productivity pressures. A forklift striking a support, a poorly centered load, or an overloaded shelf can trigger a progressive collapse of the racking with very serious consequences. Added to this are the risks of falling packages, entrapment between loads, falls by people climbing the racking, overexertion during manual handling, and collisions in shared aisles. The INSST technical notes on storage in metal racking (NTP 852, which updates NTP 618) systematize safety conditions from design to operation.

For preventative purposes, shelving is an installation that must be designed for the intended loads and use, assembled according to the manufacturer’s instructions, clearly marked with its load capacities, and maintained through regular inspections. The European standard UNE-EN 15635 establishes the use and maintenance of steel storage systems, including the classification of damage by color (green, amber, and red) and the requirement for periodic inspections by competent personnel, in addition to frequent visual inspections by warehouse staff. Standards UNE-EN 15620, 15629, and 15512 regulate tolerances, specifications, and structural calculations.

In legal terms, Royal Decree 486/1997 requires that workplaces, including storage areas, have the appropriate structure and strength for their use, with clearly marked maximum load limits, sufficiently wide aisles, level floors, and a clean and orderly environment. Royal Decree 1215/1997 applies to forklifts and other handling equipment, and Royal Decree 487/1997 to the manual handling of loads.

Main safety conditions

• Design and specification. Shelving calculated for the expected loads, pallet dimensions and handling equipment, with nameplates indicating the maximum load per level and per module.
• Assembly and anchoring. Installation by qualified personnel according to the manufacturer’s instructions, with anchoring to the ground, leveling and final verification before commissioning.
• Protective measures. Prop and alignment end protectors, pallet stops, fall protection nets in pedestrian walkways and separators between attached shelving units.
• Operation. Loading and unloading with suitable forklifts and authorized drivers, pallets in good condition, loads centered and stable, without exceeding capacities or modifying the configuration without recalculating.
• Inspection. Frequent visual inspections by staff and periodic inspections, at least annually, by a competent person, with recording of damage, classification by severity and immediate unloading of modules with serious damage.
• Aisles and signage. Sufficient width for handling equipment and pedestrian traffic, separation of flows, signage of zones and maximum loads, and adequate lighting.
• Stacking without shelving. Height limited according to the stability of the materials, firm bases, interlocking stacking and prohibition of supporting loads against walls or unforeseen structures.

Associated risks and complementary measures

• Pedestrian and trolley traffic separation, speed limits, mirrors and audible signals, driver and pedestrian training.
• Falls from height. Climbing on shelves is prohibited; use of lifting platforms or appropriate equipment for access to upper levels.
• Manual handling. Application of Royal Decree 487/1997: mechanical aids, training, picking levels at appropriate height and job rotation.
• Fire. Compatibility of storage with fire protection: compartmentalization, distances to sprinklers, control of combustible materials and clear evacuation routes.
• Hazardous products. Storage in accordance with chemical storage regulations, with separation by incompatibilities and containment bunds.

Organizational application: how to manage warehouse safety

1. Inventory the shelving with its characteristics (manufacturer, configuration, maximum loads, installation date) and check that each module has a visible load plate.
2. Verify that the installed configuration matches the specification and that any modifications are recalculated and documented.
3. Implement the inspection program: visual inspections by staff on each shift, periodic inspections by a competent person with recording and classification of damages, and immediate action in cases of serious damage.
4. Establish loading and unloading procedures, authorization of forklift operators, speed limits, and separation of flows of people and equipment.
5. Train warehouse staff on maximum loads, stacking, reporting damage, and prohibiting climbing on shelves.
6. Integrate storage into the risk assessment and emergency plan, paying attention to fire protection and hazardous products.
7. Record incidents (bumps, falling loads) as early indicators and review the guards where they are repeated.

Preventive management software allows you to plan and record shelf inspections, manage detected damage until it is repaired, control forklift operator authorizations, and link warehouse incidents to action planning.

Limits and common mistakes

1. Overloading levels or modules, or changing the configuration of the shelves without recalculating the capacities.
2. Do not inspect the shelving or remove from use any modules damaged by impacts.
3. Lacking maximum load plates or keeping them illegible.
4. Allow staff to climb on shelves to reach loads.
5. Mixing forklift and pedestrian traffic in narrow aisles without signage or protection.
6. Storing materials in evacuation routes, next to electrical panels or under sprinklers without respecting distances.

The technical conditions are detailed in the UNE-EN standards and in the INSST technical notes; this sheet is for informational purposes.

Regulatory and reference framework

• Royal Decree 486/1997, of April 14. Minimum safety and health provisions in the workplace: solidity, maximum loads, aisles, order and cleanliness.
• Royal Decree 1215/1997, of July 18. Use of work equipment, including forklift trucks and handling equipment.
• Royal Decree 487/1997, of April 14. Manual handling of loads.
• NTP 852: Storage in metal shelving (INSST, 2009) . Safety conditions for conventional palletized load shelving.
• NTP 618: Storage in metal shelving (INSST, 2003) . Previous technical note on the same subject.

The UNE-EN 15635 (use and maintenance), UNE-EN 15620 (tolerances), UNE-EN 15629 (specification) and UNE-EN 15512 (calculation) standards for steel storage systems are acquired through the Spanish Association for Standardization (UNE).