A well-maintained mobile shelving system lasts 20-30 years. This guide covers the weekly checks, annual servicing and PUWER compliance requirements.
Why Mobile Shelving Maintenance Matters
Mobile shelving is engineered for a 20–30 year service life — but only with proper maintenance. Neglected systems develop the same predictable faults: stiff handles from dry bearings, drifting carriages from worn wheels, jamming aisles from build-up of dust and debris in the rails, and (most seriously) failing safety locks that allow movement while an aisle is occupied.
Beyond the operational nuisance, there is a legal obligation. Mobile shelving is classed as work equipment under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). Regulations 5 (maintenance), 6 (inspection) and 9 (training) place a duty on the employer or dutyholder to keep the equipment safe and to keep records of inspection. Failure is enforceable by the HSE.
The good news: a sensible programme of weekly visual checks and annual professional servicing keeps the system safe, compliant and in service for decades. The cost is small; the cost of neglect — repairs, injuries, or premature replacement — is much larger.
Weekly Visual Checks
Your in-house staff can carry out a brief weekly walk-around. Five minutes per system is enough. The checklist is straightforward: rails are clear of debris (sweep paperclips, dust, tape and packaging from inside the rail channels); the safety lock engages every time an aisle is opened (try to move a neighbouring bay while standing in the aisle — it must not move); handles or controls turn freely with no grinding or unusual resistance; carriages move smoothly the full length of travel with no jolts or sticking points; nothing has been overloaded above the shelf's labelled safe working load.
Visual checks also catch the early warning signs: chipped paint where a bay has rubbed against a column, a shelf sagging more than it should, an aisle that is harder to open than last week. Catching these early is the difference between a five-minute adjustment and a major repair.
Keep a simple log — paper, spreadsheet, or facilities-management system. PUWER doesn't prescribe a format but it does require records, and a written log is the easiest way to demonstrate compliance to the HSE if it's ever asked for.
Annual Planned Maintenance
Once a year, a competent-person engineer should carry out a full planned maintenance visit. This is typically combined with the statutory PUWER inspection in a single visit, which is the most cost-effective way to stay compliant.
A Rackstor annual visit covers: rail level and rail-fix integrity; carriage wheels (wear, bearings, free rotation); drive train (chain tension, sprocket wear, handle gearing or motor and gearbox on powered systems); safety locks, anti-tip plates and end-stops; structural integrity of every bay and shelf; load labelling visibility; operator controls; and — on powered systems — electrical safety, photo-beam alignment and emergency stop function.
Minor adjustments and lubrication are carried out on the visit. Any wear-and-tear consumables (typically wheels, bearings, drive chains) are reported with quotes. The engineer issues a written PUWER inspection certificate with a clear pass / pass-with-remedials / fail outcome and the next-inspection-due date.
For heavily-used systems or powered installations, we recommend 6-monthly servicing instead of annual. After any significant impact, modification, or relocation, an out-of-cycle inspection is required before the system goes back into normal use.
When to Call a Specialist
Call a specialist immediately if: the safety lock fails to engage; an aisle moves when it shouldn't; a carriage jams mid-travel and cannot be released; you hear grinding, banging or metal-on-metal noise during operation; a shelf has visibly bent, twisted or sagged; the system has been struck by a vehicle or impact; or the system has been flooded, soaked or exposed to chemical spill.
Do not attempt to force a jammed system. The most common cause of operator injury on mobile shelving is people trying to free a jammed aisle without isolating the load — the bay suddenly releases under stored energy and traps a hand or foot. Stop using the affected run, lock it out, and call an engineer.
Rackstor operates a UK-wide engineer call-out service with same-week response on most postcodes and emergency response available for critical installations. We work on every major brand, not just systems we installed. Annual planned maintenance contracts include statutory PUWER inspection, discounted call-out rates, and priority response.
Call 0800 654 6955 to book maintenance or report a fault — or use the enquiry form below and we'll come back within the hour.