What the classification says
A block is missing or split so that more than one nail shank is visible.
How to spot it
An EPAL 1 has 9 blocks in three rows of three. Look along each long side and down the centre for a missing foot.
Why it matters
Blocks carry the deck and give the fork openings their shape, so a missing block changes how the pallet sits on forks, conveyors and other pallets. A pallet with a missing block can tip when lifted from the side where the block should be. EPAL's poster groups a missing block with a block split so badly that more than one nail shank shows, because both leave the deck without proper support. Count all nine blocks on EPAL 1, 2 and 3 pallets, and note that the EPAL 7 is built on three blocks with steel brackets, so its count differs.
Effect on the pallet's class
Not exchangeable. A missing block also removes fork-entry support and makes the pallet unstable. See Not fit for use for the full criteria.
Repair
Licensed repair only.
If no licensed repairer is practical, sell sound timber as non-EPAL wood or send the pallets for recycling.