Racking Inspections – are they mandatory?

(1) Every employer shall ensure that, where the safety of work equipment depends on the installation conditions, it is inspected:

• after installation and before being put into service for the first time; or
• after assembly at a new site or in a new location, to ensure that it has been installed correctly and is safe to operate.

(2) Every employer shall ensure that work equipment exposed to conditions causing deterioration which is liable to result in dangerous situations is inspected –

•  at suitable intervals; and
•  each time that exceptional circumstances which are liable to jeopardise the safety of the work equipment have occurred, to ensure that health and safety conditions are maintained and that any deterioration can be detected and remedied in good time.

(3) Every employer shall ensure that the result of an inspection made under this regulation is recorded and kept until the next inspection under this regulation is recorded.

Source: The Provision and Use of Work Equipment (PUWER) 1998