Combat forklift downtime

Many inspection providers will perform a Thorough Examination but are not equipped to make repairs on-site should faults be found. Instead, the company is left to wait for a service engineer before the truck can be used, costing time and money.

CFTS — the body behind the national standard for the Thorough Examination of forklift trucks — offers a much more efficient and comprehensive option.

Geoff Martin, CFTS chairman said: “When employers choose Thorough Examinations from CFTS-accredited companies, they can rest easy in the knowledge that the engineer conducting their Thorough Examination has the experience and equipment on hand to carry out necessary repairs immediately. This means your truck will be back up and running as soon as possible.”

Unlike what is provided by some inspection providers, a CFTS Thorough Examination follows a quality-controlled standardised testing process. This includes performing accurate physical examinations on the lifting parts of the truck in accordance LOLER 98, as well as on non-lifting parts, such as brakes and steering, under PUWER 98. 

“From time to time, we hear stories that these vital and complex safety checks are completed in as little as 15 minutes,” added Geoff Martin. “Typically, it should take more than 45 minutes for a 1.5 tonne three-wheel electric forklift. As a truck’s complexity increases, so does its inspection. A conventional telehandler, for example, might take 3 hours to inspect properly.”

CFTS-accredited companies are obliged under a stringent procedural code to provide a Report of Thorough Examination complying fully with LOLER 98 and PUWER 98, a checklist specifying what has been inspected and recording any comments made, a certificate to keep with the truck’s documents, and a sticker (affixed to the truck) to show the month and year when the next Thorough Examination is due.

Geoff Martin concluded: “CFTS believes in truly rigorous forklift inspections, which is why our qualified engineers won’t leave your site until you have a truck that is safe to use and fully compliant with the law, giving you complete peace of mind.”