Warehouse Safety Equipment: Pallet Rack Safety Nets & Pallet Back Stops

Posted by Rafael Gonzalez on May 16, 2016

Warehouse safety equipment should be top priority in any warehouse facility, especially warehouses with large pallet racking systems where there is an increased risk of injury and damage from pallets falling. Unguarded racking systems that go through a lot of loading and unloading activity are more vulnerable to falling pallets. One of the potential dangers to remember about pallet racking systems is that in some cases, falls can have a domino effect. One small mishap could lead to a large disaster involving multiple rows of pallet racking in your warehouse.

Last updated: July 2026. Reviewed by the Quality Material Handling Inc. warehouse safety team.

Quick answer

Pallet rack safety nets and pallet back stops both protect against falling or sliding pallets, but they serve different purposes. Safety netting catches materials that slide or fall off the front or sides of a racking system, while back stops are physical barriers mounted between uprights on the back of the rack to catch pallets pushed too far during loading. Many warehouses use both together, choosing netting for open-front protection and back stops for rear protection, based on their racking layout and how far pallets tend to protrude.

Warehouse Safety Equipment

In order to avoid costly and dangerous accidents, businesses take preventative measures to maximize safety by investing in warehouse safety equipment such as Pallet Rack Safety Netting and Pallet Rack Back Stops. Learning about the benefits of these precautionary measures can be useful in optimizing safety in your warehouse and protecting your employees, equipment, and inventory.

Pallet Rack Safety Netting

This safety netting is designed to catch any materials that may slide and/or begin to fall off the racking system, and stop them from falling completely. Pallet rack safety netting can save your business from costly damages to equipment and inventory, and help prevent employee injury. Pallet rack safety nets can be installed on the back side of your system, mounted either flush with your racks or a few inches back if your pallet load protrudes the edges of your racking. You can install netting on your entire racking system, or choose select levels of your pallet racking system that require the added security. Installing safety netting is a breeze, as it easily attaches to pallet rack uprights with cable ties.

Pallet Back Stops

Pallet Rack Back Stops are strong protective barriers installed on the back of your racking system between two uprights. Essentially, these are additional beams mounted on the back of your columns to catch pallets that may slide or get pushed off of the rack. Just like safety netting, pallet back stops protect pallets from falling off of your pallet racks to provide added safety for your stored materials, equipment, and employees. Pallet back stops are a requirement for most cities in Southern California, often because of earthquake related safety codes. Pallet back stops can be the more convenient and ideal alternative to safety netting because they allows faster and more direct access to your materials.

Read our guide below with questions to determine whether you need safety netting or pallet back stops.

Questions to determine the best warehouse safety option for you:

• Are you storing large and/or heavy objects that could cause serious injury/damage if they fall?
• Do your pallets protrude?
• Is your warehouse in an earthquake prone area?
• Do you need a safety net for your entire racking system or select levels only?

Prevent costly damages and maximize employee safety in your warehouse! Call today to speak to a racking expert about investing in safety features for your racking system in your warehouse.

Choosing between safety netting and back stops for your racking

If your racking has an open back facing a walkway, aisle, or another work area, safety netting is generally the better fit since it catches materials across a wide area without requiring precise positioning. If pallets are pushed too far during loading and risk falling off the back of a rack into an inaccessible space, back stops provide a more rigid, permanent barrier at the exact point where the pallet would otherwise slide off. Facilities with earthquake risk or heavy, high-value loads often use both together for layered protection.

Inspecting and maintaining safety netting and back stops

Safety netting and back stops should be inspected periodically for damage, since torn netting or bent back stops can fail exactly when they’re needed most. Netting attached with cable ties should be checked for wear at the attachment points, and back stops should be checked for bending or loosening at their mounting brackets. Replacing damaged safety equipment promptly, rather than waiting for a scheduled inspection cycle, helps avoid a preventable pallet fall in the meantime.

Our experience: With over 32 years of experience in material handling, QMH has helped warehouses select and install the right combination of safety netting and back stops based on their racking layout and load types. In our experience, facilities that inspect this equipment as part of routine rack safety checks catch wear and damage well before it becomes a hazard.

Questions? Call 800-404-RACK (7225)

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