Forklift Safety Inspection: Maintain or Lose

Pre-Shift Inspection

Daily Checks, both visual and functional, improve forklift safety by confirming safe lift operations prior to use. These checks are not just recommended, they are required by law.

OSHA 1910.178(q)(7)

Industrial trucks shall be examined before being placed in service, and shall not be placed in service if the examination shows any condition adversely affecting the safety of the vehicle. Such examination shall be a least daily. Where industrial trucks are used on a round-the-clock basis, they shall be examined after each shift. Defects when found shall be immediately reported and corrected.

Operators Daily Checklist

Plan Maintenance

Equipment owners know a program of proactive inspection and scheduled maintenance is the best way to promote forklift safety, lower total cost of ownership, and increase equipment uptime and total lifespan. Plan Maintenance is a program in which inspection; minor adjustments, lubrications, oil changes and replacement of filters are performed on a scheduled and systematic basis.

PM Feature Benefits

Contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Fork Inspection

Forks for counterbalance and straddle lift trucks are not just bent bars of steel. The manufacturing process is careful and precise with many checks and inspections critical to their safety. Some factors essential to fork manufacture include the steel, the bend and thickness of the heel, the welding of the hooks that hold them onto the carriage, and the heat treatment of the finished product

Forks are big and heavy and thought of as indestructible, but forks can be abused or ruined in the course of daily work. Fork failure is significantly increased when:

• Improper chain adjustment

• Improper operation of Lift Truck (dragging the forks)

• Normal wear from use over time

• Used beyond rated load capacity

• Application Environment

• Tire Wear

Detail Fork Inspection

Contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Chain Inspections

A Chain Inspection is vital to the life of your lift truck.  The Chain Inspection will determine your Trucks' Chain Condition. Inadequate mainteance accounts for most complaints of unsatisfactory chain performance.

We Can Inspect Your Chain to Determine if there is:

• Elongation- 3% or more elongation should be replaced. Lengthing of chains could reduce strength by as much as 18%.
• Rust Corrosion- May cause sideplate cracking and reduced load carry capacity. Chains must be completely protected by a film lubricant.
• Cracked Plates- Repeated heavy loads over a period of time may crack plates. Chains must be replaced if a crack is discovered.
• Misalignment- Is determined by wear pattern on pin heads and outsideplates. Will damage the chain and sheaves and cause internal friction in the chain.
• Protruding and Turned Pins-  Heavy loaded chains with little lubrication generate friction between the pin and plates. Pins will turn and slowly work out of the chain causing failure.
• Chain Anchors and Sleaves- Check chain anchors for wear, damage, and incorrect alignment. Anchors with worn or broken fingersmust be replaced. The retension of chain anchor pins should be checked and pins replaced if necessary.

Contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Frequent & Annual Aerial Inspection

As per the ANSI/SIA A92.6 manual that is attached to all Aerial Work Platform lifts (Scissor and Boom lifts), it is required that a Frequent and Annual inspection be done on these lifts by a qualified mechanic.

Fall Protection

OSHA regulations require the occupants of a boom lift to wear personal fall protection equipment while in the platform. With Order or Stack Pickers it is required the operators wear appropriate fall protection equipment that is properly fitted and adjusted. Ensure that employees are trained in the proper use of the fall protection equipment. OSHA strongly encourages the use of a body harnesses on elevated platforms of powered industrial trucks.

Battery Inspection

The importance of safety cannot be overstated when handling an industrial battery. There are numerous safety procedures and guidelines to be followed. It is critical to be prepared for any accident. Every battery area should be equipped with the proper safety equipment. All employees should be trained to respond properly to all possibilities. Only qualified technicians should work on industrial batteries.

Contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Ergonomics

Studies in Ergonomics show that the lift truck operator’s comfort provides quantifiable business benefits in terms of:

• Higher productivity

• Increased job satisfaction

• Improved health and energy levels

• Reduced absence from work