Is Your Pallet Racking Up To The AS4084:23 Standard?

The steel storage racking Australian Standard AS4084:23 came out last year. It’s the updated version of AS4084:12, which outlines the requirements for the safe manufacture, installation, and operation of pallet racking. Although the new standard has been out for about a year now, we still see clients who are unsure of their obligations in relation to the new standard, whether it applies to them, and what they may need to do.

Let’s take a look at AS4084:23, what pallet racking needs to use it versus pallet racking that can use AS4084:12, and understand why the changes were made in the first place.

Does Your Pallet Racking Need To Conform To AS4084:23?

The good news for a lot of warehouses is that their pallet racking may not need to take AS4084:23 into account.

The general rule is that if the pallet racking was installed prior to 2023, it only needs to adhere to AS:4084:12. This means it’s subject to AS:4084:12 regulations, including regular pallet racking inspections, but it’s not subject to AS:4084:23.

However, newly installed pallet racking or existing pallet racking that is being moved or modified will need to take AS4084:23 into account. This means that even if you’re moving your pallet racking from one side of the warehouse to another, it will now have to be part of the new standard.

The good news is that it’s not hard to take AS4084:23 into account. At Colby Dandenong, we have a lot of experience with the pallet racking standards, so we can make sure your business is compliant.

Why The Standard Changed

The biggest reason AS4084 was updated in 2023 is just to bring it up to date with the international pallet racking standards and also update it to be in line with technological developments in pallet racking.

It’s been more than 10 years since the introduction of AS4084:12, and a lot has changed since then. Ultimately, Australian Standards are all about ensuring things are safe, whether it’s pallet racking, or the warehouse construction that the pallet racking sits in. As things change, the Standards need to be updated.

Standards are also updated from time to time for clarity and to make sure they’re easy to understand and implement.

The Main Differences Between AS4084:23 and AS4084:12

Although there are quite a few differences between the two Standards, pallet racking suppliers and installers like Colby Dandenong can help ensure that a new pallet racking installation is up to standard and also advise on keeping it up to standard.

One of the main changes for the new Standard is it’s now in two sections:

AS4048:23.1 – Steel Storage Racking Part 1: Design

AS4084:23.2 – Steel Storage Racking Part 2: Operation and Maintenance

While the design part of the standard is mostly for manufacturers like ourselves, it also describes how pallet racking needs to be installed. For the first time, AS4084 outlines how pallet racking should be designed and installed for areas with seismic activity. Beyond that, it also gives a lot more detail on the design of pallet racking.

This is similar with part two of AS4084:23 in relation to operation and maintenance. The updated standard still has information on safe loading, but also has extra information on the testing and repair of pallet racking.

Talk To An Expert About Your Obligations

As mentioned, if your pallet racking was installed prior to 2023, you can still operate under the AS4084:12 standard, but newer pallet racking installations need to take AS4084:23 into account. As you can probably tell though, a lot of the obligations towards the standard have to do with the design and installation of the pallet racking. If your warehouse follows the load guidelines given by the pallet racking installer and has regular pallet racking installations, there’s not much different for the day to day operation of the business.

Either way, if you do have questions, feel free to contact us. We’ll be happy to clarify things.