According to the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, shelving is work equipment and is therefore subject to the Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health. This applies to the provision of shelving by the employer as well as to the use of shelving by employees.The employer is obliged to systematically and regularly inspect all storage equipment - i.e. electrically powered and static shelving. §Section 10 of the BetrSichV requires regular inspections of storage facilities. According to §3, the type, scope and intervals of necessary inspections must be determined for shelving. The scope and procedure for inspecting storage facilities are regulated in the new European standard DIN EN 15635, which was published by Beuth-Verlag in July 2009.

In accordance with the German Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health, employers are responsible for the safety of their storage facilities. Shelving must be inspected by a competent person at least every 12 months.

Regular inspections and repairs prevent serious accidents with personal injury and property damage as well as high repair costs and guarantee smooth operations.

The leading shelving manufacturers represented in the Association for Storage Technology and Operating Equipment have developed a training course together with the Dr. Möll test institute. At the Dr. Möll testing institute in Darmstadt, the prospective shelving inspectors receive several days of intensive training. After completing the training, the participants take a final examination and thus acquire the specialist title of "Association-certified shelving inspector".