If you own or operate a fork lift truck, you are required by law to ensure that it holds a report of Thorough Examination. This applies equally  to trucks on hire.

 

Failure to comply can leave you open to prosecution and could invalidate your insurance… or much worse in the case of a serious accident arising from faulty equipment.

 

 

A Thorough Examination is like an MOT for a car. It is a detailed inspection of all the safety related parts of a fork lift truck. In many ways it is more complex than the MOT for a car. In addition to the brakes, steering, tyres etc being checked under PUWER 98 all the lifting components, hydraulics, chains, forks etc are inspected in accordance with LOLER 98

 

The regulations apply to fork lift trucks that are one year old. From the one year point onwards a Thorough Examination is required at least once every 12 months. In some instances a truck will need to have a Thorough Examination more frequently. If you are in doubt check this with your truck supplier or maintenance provider.

 

Just like an MOT for a car a Thorough Examination is not part of the maintenance process. It must be carried out and reported on separately from routine maintenance.

 

Generally speaking the employer of the operator of the fork lift truck (the owner or user) is responsible for ensuring that Thorough Examinations are carried out on time by a Competent Person. Records must be kept.

 

 

The regulations simply require that a Thorough Examination is carried out by a Competent Person. As a practical guide the following are likely to be able to carry out a Thorough Examination on a fork lift truck:

It is worth noting that an “insurance inspection” is not necessarily a Though Examination and if you rely on such inspections you should make sure you receive a document headed “Report of Thorough Examination”.
 

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According to recent findings, based on Health and Safety Executive statistics between 2001 and 2008, Birmingham is the city with the most forklift accidents.

 

Workers over 45 and heavy goods vehicle drivers waiting for their lorries to be loaded and unloaded have the highest fatality rates.
Over 400 people are hospitalised and these are major life shattering injuries like crushings and amputations. Last year 10 people were killed and with forklifts working on almost every site literally anyone could be at risk. Most forklift accidents are avoidable and the victim is not usually the forklift operator.

 

THE 5 WORST AREAS: