Rack Protection — Column Guards / End Barriers / Row Guards per EN 15512, EN 15620 & EN 15635 to Cut Forklift Damage

A pallet rack designed correctly to EN 15512 can still collapse — not because it can't carry the load, but because a forklift hit the base of an upright until it could no longer carry vertical load. One overlooked impact can bring down a whole run like dominoes: damaged stock, injured staff, and days of downtime.

The fact many people miss: the design standard only requires uprights to survive a very light "accidental impact" (see section 3) — the rest is the job of protection devices. This article covers the types, the standards, and how to specify them in a TOR so you prevent damage from the start (see rack-type selection in Selective vs Drive-In vs Push-Back and routine checks in the Rack Inspection Checklist).

1. Why rack protection is the best-value spend in a warehouse

Forklifts and reach trucks are the number-one cause of rack damage — and the most-hit point is the upright base in the 0–400 mm zone above the floor, which carries the whole run.

• An upright bent even slightly loses much of its load capacity, because a cold-formed upright's compression strength depends on the straightness of its cross-section.
• Protection devices cost a few thousand to tens of thousands of baht per point, versus a rack collapse (stock + racking + downtime + human risk) running into the hundreds of thousands or millions.
• Government tenders and customer audits (ISO 45001, GMP food plants) routinely check for a protection system plus an EN 15635 inspection regime.

Principle: don't let the upright take the hit — let the protection device absorb it and transfer the force into the floor. Keep the upright for carrying stock only.

2. Types of protection — where it goes, what it stops

Almost every warehouse needs at least two combined: barriers at aisle ends plus column guards on mid-aisle uprights along busy paths. Add guide rails in narrow drive-in/VNA aisles.

3. The standards and criteria to cite

3.1 EN 15512 — how much impact an upright can take

EN 15512 requires the upright frame to resist an accidental horizontal force of 0.5 kN at up to 0.4 m above the floor — this is the floor, telling you the upright only survives a light brush. A loaded forklift moving slowly can exceed 0.5 kN easily, so protection devices must take the excess.

3.2 Column-guard criteria — ≥ 400 mm high, absorb ≥ 400 Nm

EN/FEM practice for upright guards:

• at least 400 mm tall (covering the at-risk band)
• absorbs ≥ 400 Nm of energy without transmitting destructive force into the upright
• ideally not fixed directly to the upright (independent), so impact isn't transferred into it

3.3 EN 15620 — clearances so you "don't hit" in the first place

Damage drops sharply when aisles and escape clearances are right from the start. EN 15620 sets tolerances/clearances — e.g., the gap between pallet and upright/beam and minimum aisle widths by truck type. Adequate clearance means fewer impacts at source.

3.4 EN 15635 — inspect and assess GREEN / AMBER / RED

Fitting guards isn't the end — you need an inspection regime:

Measure distortion with a 1.0 m straightedge (typical limit ~3–5 mm/m depending on direction), appoint a PRRS (Person Responsible for Rack Safety), and run weekly visual + at least annual expert inspections.

4. How to select and lay out the installation

flowchart TD
  A[Do forklifts pass/turn here often?] -->|Aisle end, lane mouth| B[Floor-anchored End-of-Aisle Barrier + Row-End Protector]
  A -->|Mid-aisle uprights on travel path| C[Column Guard ≥400mm, absorb ≥400Nm]
  A -->|Narrow VNA/Drive-in aisle| D[Full-length Guide Rail + Column Guard]
  B --> E{Floor slab thick enough for anchors?}
  C --> E
  D --> E
  E -->|Yes| F[Choose bolt-down with stated energy absorption]
  E -->|No/thin slab| G[Add rubber/polymer wrap + slab-upgrade plan]
  F --> H[Appoint PRRS + EN 15635 inspection cycle]
  G --> H

Selection principles:

• Prioritise by traffic — aisle ends and junctions are highest-risk; protect them first.
• Bolt-down for hard-impact points (state the energy-absorption rating in the spec); wrap-on for low-risk/visual-warning points.
• Yellow/black for visibility + add lighting/mirrors at junctions.
• Design EN 15620 clearances in parallel — preventing impact beats repairing it.

5. What to put in the TOR / purchase spec

• Specify devices by location: end-of-aisle barriers at every aisle end + column guards per the traffic plan + guide rails in narrow aisles
• Column-guard spec: ≥ 400 mm tall, energy absorption ≥ 400 Nm, independent of the upright
• Barrier spec: height/anchor spacing/rated force + anchoring method (anchors + minimum slab thickness)
• Cite EN 15620 for clearances / aisle widths by truck type
• Cite EN 15635: appoint a PRRS, inspection cycle (weekly + annual), GREEN/AMBER/RED criteria, load-notice signage
• Specify colour/visibility (yellow-black) + warning signs + junction lighting/mirrors
• Material certificates + shop drawings + engineer's sign-off (for government work)

Tip: a spec that just says "has guards" isn't enough — state the energy-absorption rating + installation points per the traffic plan + the EN 15635 inspection regime, or you'll get cheap parts that stop scratches, not collapse.

Summary

Most rack collapses aren't from "overloading" — they're from a forklift hitting an upright with nobody managing it afterward, because the design only expects the upright to take 0.5 kN of impact.

Protect in three layers: (1) adequate clearances per EN 15620, (2) the right devices in the right places (aisle-end barriers + column guards ≥400 mm/≥400 Nm + guide rails in narrow aisles), and (3) a PRRS + EN 15635 inspection (GREEN/AMBER/RED). Specify all three in the TOR from the start and you actually prevent collapse — not just scratches.

Need racking with a protection system designed to EN 15512 / 15620 / 15635, complete with an installation-point layout and engineer's sign-off — request a quote and our team surveys your warehouse traffic plan and proposes a protection set matched to real risk.