The underestimated hazard: falling goods in the warehouse
The figures are alarming: the DGUV (German Social Accident Insurance) recorded 19,802 workplace accidents caused by falling objects in 2023 alone, 29 of them fatal. A further 15,240 accidents were directly linked to racking systems and pallets. Behind every number is a person who was injured because load securing in racking was not taken seriously.
Legal framework: what the legislator requires
DGUV Information 208-061 (since July 2024)
The new DGUV Information 208-061 replaces the previous DGUV Regel 108-007 and states clearly: "Storage equipment and load carriers must be loaded in such a way that stored goods cannot fall out or fall down." It covers the construction, operation, inspection and maintenance of storage equipment.
BetrSichV, German Industrial Safety Ordinance
Racking is classed as work equipment under the BetrSichV. This entails an obligation to carry out an annual inspection by a competent person (§10 BetrSichV) as well as complete documentation.
§5 Arbeitsschutzgesetz (German Occupational Safety Act), risk assessment
Every employer must systematically identify all hazards in the warehouse and derive technical, organisational and personnel-related protective measures from them.
The physics of securing: positive locking vs. frictional locking
Positive locking, the goods have no room to move
Like a bookshelf packed to the brim: each item supports the next. In industrial racking, positive locking is achieved with:
- Pallet stops: a front stop on the beam pair
- Push-through guards: prevent pallets from being pushed through to the opposite side
- Mesh back panels: complete protection at the rear
- Side guides: limit sideways slipping
Frictional locking, friction and compression hold the goods
The load is pressed onto the bearing surface, which increases friction:
- Stretch film: wrap in a spiral, at least 50 % overlap, wrap in the pallet base
- Strapping bands: horizontal securing against sideways breakout
- Anti-slip mats: between the pallet and the bottom layer
- Lashing straps: for heavy, bulky goods
Best practice: combination
The best securing combines both principles: pallets positioned in the racking without gaps (positive locking) plus correctly film-wrapped load units (frictional locking).
Technical solutions for your racking
Push-through guards, mandatory for double-sided racking
Where racks stand back to back (double-sided racking), pallets can be pushed through to the rear during loading and fall out on the opposite side. Push-through guards made of tubes or mesh elements reliably prevent this. Typical widths: 190, 270 or 360 cm.
Safety nets, flexible and cost-efficient
Racking safety nets made of tear-resistant polypropylene secure open rack sides just like a mesh panel. Standard specification:
- Heavy goods: 5 mm cord thickness
- Lighter goods: 3 mm cord thickness
- Mesh size: 45 mm (safety standard)
- Standard: DIN EN 1263 (safety nets)
Impact protection, the first line of defence
Forklift collisions are the most common cause of structural racking damage. Damaged uprights can fail with a time delay, hours or days after the impact. Requirements:
- Minimum height 40 cm (DIN EN 15512)
- Not attached to the racking, but anchored independently in the floor
- Yellow-and-black warning marking (DGUV)
Correct palletising: the basis of load securing
- Heavy at the bottom, light at the top, keep the centre of gravity as low as possible
- Even weight distribution across the pallet surface
- Pack in a bond: stack layers offset (brickwork bond) for an interlocking effect
- Do not overhang the pallet edge, max. 1 cm overhang, otherwise there is a risk of tipping
- Do not use damaged pallets, broken runners = risk of falling
- Wrap stretch film correctly: from bottom to top, wrap in the pallet base, at least 50 % overlap
Training obligation: what your employees need to know
Under §12 Arbeitsschutzgesetz, every employer must adequately instruct their employees, on recruitment, whenever changes occur and at least once a year. Contents of warehouse training:
- Maximum shelf and bay loads of the racking installation
- Correct loading and retrieval (centred, no pushing, no throwing)
- Recognising and reporting racking damage
- Correct palletising and load securing
- What to do in the event of damage and accidents
In addition, DIN EN 15635 requires weekly visual inspections by trained warehouse staff.
When things go wrong: accident examples from practice
The domino effect
A forklift truck barely touches a rack upright during loading. The first row of racking tips over and pulls neighbouring racks down with it, around 50 metres of racking collapse. Prevention: impact protection on all exposed uprights, sufficient aisle widths.
Time-delayed failure
A rack upright is struck by a forklift and the damage is not reported. Hours later, the pre-damaged upright fails under load, the racking collapses. Prevention: mandatory damage reporting, weekly visual inspections, damage classification using the traffic-light system (DIN EN 15635).
Checklist: the 5 pillars of racking safety
| Pillar | Measures |
|---|---|
| Technology | Push-through guards, mesh panels, nets, impact protection, pallet stops |
| Organisation | Risk assessment, inspection intervals, load notices |
| People | Instruction, training, visual checks by employees |
| Inspection | Weekly visual check + annual expert inspection |
| Palletising | Correct load units, stretch film, no damaged pallets |
Conclusion: load securing is not a nice-to-have
The combination of technical safeguards, organisational measures and trained staff makes the difference between a safe and a dangerous warehouse. The investment in push-through guards, nets and regular inspections is vanishingly small compared with the cost of a single serious workplace accident, not to mention the human tragedy.