Rack Armour Upright Protectors

Protect your warehouse racking from costly forklift impact damage with the Rack Armour® range of upright protectors, available to buy online from Hall-Fast Industrial Supplies. As the world's best-selling polymer rack guard for over two decades, Rack Armour® is proven to reduce damage to pallet racking uprights by up to 80%, helping warehouse and distribution operators slash repair bills, prevent unplanned downtime and keep their racking systems compliant with safety standards. Whether you run a single-aisle stockroom or a multi-million-pallet distribution centre, the Rack Armour® upright protector is a fast, tool-free way to safeguard your most vulnerable racking legs.

Why Choose Rack Armour® Upright Protectors?

Rack Armour® was engineered specifically to solve a problem that traditional steel barriers can't: how to absorb the impact of a forklift strike rather than simply transferring it into the racking leg or floor. Steel guards may deflect a hit, but the energy still has to go somewhere — often into the upright, the bolts or the concrete slab. Rack Armour® works differently. Its ballistics-grade outer shell is shaped to divert impact energy around the rack leg, while the closed-cell foam interior absorbs and diffuses any remaining force. The result is twin-action protection that maintains the structural integrity of your racking system, install after install.

Beyond protection, Rack Armour® upright protectors deliver:

• Up to 80% reduction in racking damage, paying back the investment after a single significant impact
• Zero floor fixings — clips directly onto the upright with no drilling, bolting or anchoring
• Tool-free installation in seconds (fitting tools available for larger profiles)
• High-visibility safety yellow finish that clearly defines safe working boundaries for MHE drivers
• 15+ year service life with virtually no maintenance — wipe clean with a cloth
• Non-toxic and fully recyclable HDPE construction
• Operates from -40°C to +50°C, making it suitable for cold stores and freezer warehouses
• Resistant to moisture, mould, corrosion, acids, alkalines and most common solvents

How Rack Armour® Works

The Rack Armour® upright protector is constructed from a ballistics-grade high-density polyethylene (HDPE) outer shell with a wall thickness of over 7mm — the same family of polymer used in body armour applications. Inside, a custom-engineered, energy-absorbing foam liner cushions the racking leg.

When a forklift, pallet truck or other materials handling equipment strikes the guard, the curved outer shell deflects the load away from the upright. The foam core then absorbs whatever residual energy remains, dissipating it before it can reach the racking leg. Critically, Rack Armour® returns to its original shape after impact — a property known as "persistence of shape" — meaning a single guard can withstand multiple strikes without needing replacement.

Independent testing has shown that Rack Armour® can absorb a 400NM impact (the SEMA minimum standard) seven times in the same location before any 3mm deformation reaches the racking upright behind it. It has also been validated against a 2-tonne forklift travelling at approximately 4mph — a frontal impact force of 2.4 tonnes (21.6 kN).

Compliance and Standards

Rack Armour® upright protectors are compliant with international pallet racking protection legislation, including FEM 10.2.02 and FEM 10.2.16. They also meet and exceed the impact-resistance recommendations set out in the SEMA (Storage Equipment Manufacturers Association) racking protection guidelines. This makes them a safe specification choice for safety auditors, insurers and health and safety officers responsible for warehouse compliance.

Sizes and Fitment

To fit the wide range of pallet racking systems used across UK and European warehouses, Rack Armour® upright protectors are available in five standard width profiles:

• Euro A – fits racking uprights with a front face up to 87mm
• Euro B – fits racking uprights with a front face up to 100mm
• Euro C – fits racking uprights with a front face up to 110mm
• Euro D – fits racking uprights with a front face up to 120mm
• Euro E – fits racking uprights with a front face up to 135mm

Standard heights of 300mm and 600mm cover the majority of impact zones, and the guards are transferable between racking systems should you reconfigure your warehouse. If you're unsure which size you need, the Hall-Fast team can advise based on your racking manufacturer and upright dimensions — just get in touch.

Where to Use Rack Armour® Upright Protectors

Rack Armour® is the go-to choice wherever pallet racking is exposed to materials handling equipment, including:

• Pallet racking aisle ends and corner uprights
• High-traffic warehouse aisles and pick faces
• Distribution and fulfilment centres
• Cold stores and freezer warehouses (rated to -40°C)
• Manufacturing plants and production warehouses
• Third-party logistics (3PL) operations
• Retail back-of-house and stockroom racking

Buy Rack Armour® Upright Protectors at Hall-Fast

Hall-Fast Industrial Supplies is a trusted supplier of warehouse safety equipment to UK businesses, with a comprehensive Rack Armour® range available online. Browse the upright protectors below to find the right fit for your racking, or pair them with Rack Armour Installation Tools for fast, consistent fitting across larger projects. For trade pricing, bulk-buy quotations or fitment advice, call our team on 01623 645645 or email sales@hall-fast.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much damage can Rack Armour® prevent?

Rack Armour® has been independently shown to reduce pallet racking damage by up to 80% compared with unprotected uprights, with many users reporting payback after a single significant forklift strike.

Do I need to bolt Rack Armour® to the floor?

No. Rack Armour® upright protectors clip directly onto the racking leg without any floor fixings, drilling or bolts. The smaller profiles (Euro A and Euro B) can be fitted by hand in seconds; an optional fitting tool is recommended for larger sizes.

What is Rack Armour® made from?

The outer shell is moulded from ballistics-grade high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with a wall thickness of over 7mm, while the interior is lined with a closed-cell, energy-absorbing foam.

Will Rack Armour® work in a cold store or freezer warehouse?

Yes. Rack Armour® is rated for continuous use from -40°C up to +50°C and is unaffected by moisture, making it ideal for chilled, frozen and ambient warehouse environments alike.

Is Rack Armour® compliant with UK and European standards?

Rack Armour® meets the requirements of FEM 10.2.02 and FEM 10.2.16, and exceeds the impact-resistance levels recommended by the SEMA racking protection guidelines.

How long does Rack Armour® last?

With virtually no maintenance, Rack Armour® upright protectors typically deliver a service life of 15 years or more. They retain their shape after repeated impacts and only need an occasional wipe down to keep the high-visibility finish clear and effective.

Can Rack Armour® be used on any make of pallet racking?

Yes. With five Euro size profiles (A to E) covering uprights from 87mm up to 135mm front-face width, Rack Armour® fits virtually all major pallet racking systems on the UK market and is fully transferable if you reconfigure your warehouse.