The Forklift MOT
September 5th 2003 Thorough Examination of fork lift trucks – the facts by David Ellison, secretary of the FLTA
There is no mystery about the Thorough Examination of forklift trucks, but sometimes the facts are not fully understood. The purpose of this brief article is to clarify some of the more common misunderstandings
A Thorough Examination is pretty much like an MOT. It serves the same purpose, has a similar legal standing and, with some notable exceptions, the same frequency
The difference is that you cannot take your forklift truck to a testing station and that the actual examination is more complex. A Thorough Examination is not part of routine maintenance and should not be considered as such. It would not normally be included in the cost of a maintenance agreement unless specifically detailed. A Thorough Examination is a formal inspection of the safety-related components of the forklift truck
Legal requirements The requirement for Thorough Examination is embedded in Health and Safety legislation. Lifting components are covered by the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER 98) and all other safety related items, such as brakes, steering, tyres etc., are covered by the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER 98). However, this detail does not matter. What does matter is that for every fork lift truck that is in service you should have a current Report of Thorough Examination. (The only exception to this would be brand new trucks – see below.) A Report of Thorough Examination is the equivalent of an MOT certificate. It should be headed ‘Report of Thorough Examination’ and must comply with Schedule 1 of LOLER 98. Importantly, the law states that you must be able to produce a copy of this report when required to do so by an enforcement officer. A service or maintenance inspection report is not a Report of Thorough Examination, even if it details chain and fork wear! Frequency of Thorough Examination When a forklift truck is brand new it will not have a Report of Thorough Examination. By the time it has been in service for 12 months it must have had its first Thorough Examination. It will then need a new Thorough Examination at least every 12 months thereafter. This 12-month interval assumes that the truck is operating no more than 40 hours per week and without attachments other than a sideshift
The interval between Thorough Examinations, including the first Thorough Examination, reduces to 6 months if the forklift truck is used with a working platform or cage, no matter how infrequently. This reduction to a 6-month interval also applies to trucks fitted with attachments, other than a sideshift, and trucks working between 40 and 80 hours per week
The interval reduces further, to just 4 months, for any truck working in excess of 80 hours per week, or working in arduous conditions such as marine environments, cement works etc
The Competent Person carrying out the Thorough Examination has a responsibility to determine when the next Thorough Examination is due. If there is a change in the operation of the truck, such as the fitting of an attachment or a shift to more intensive use, then guidance should be sought by the user, either from the Competent Person or his employer
What is checked? A Thorough Examination will check all the safety-related items on the truck. Just like an MOT, it will include the brakes, steering, hydraulics, tyres, seat restraints, horn etc
Unlike an MOT, it will also include detailed measurements, to identify wear and damage to the chains and forks, and examination of the chain retaining bolts, mast, carriage etc. Expect the Thorough Examination to take much longer than an MOT; if it doesn’t then be suspicious of the standard. Also expect it to be more expensive
What if something is wrong? If defects are identified that do not immediately affect safety, the Competent Person will still issue a Report of Thorough Examination. He must identify the defects and state a time by which the defects must be rectified. The user is then responsible for ensuring the appropriate repairs are carried out, within the time specified
If defects are identified that could imminently be of danger to people, the Competent Person will recommend that the equipment should not be used until the fault has been rectified. This will be stated on the report. In most instances the Competent Person will have a duty to pass a copy of the report to the appropriate enforcing authority. In these circumstances the truck must be taken out of use and not used again until the defects have been rectified
Who can carry out a Thorough Examination? The law requires that a Thorough Examination should be carried out by a Competent Person. For all practical purposes there are three types of person who may carry out a Thorough Examination on a fork lift truck (their titles may vary.): an authorised fork lift truck service engineer; an insurance company lifting equipment examiner; an examiner from a specialist inspection company
The Fork Lift Truck Association firmly believes that experienced forklift truck service engineers are best placed to conduct the Thorough Examination of forklift trucks. Their in-depth knowledge of truck repair and maintenance allows them to identify and categorise defects more clearly than examiners from a broader background. There is no doubt that higher standards of Thorough Examination lead to higher levels of safety in the workplace
Who is responsible? The employer of the operator has overall responsibility. He or she has a duty of care to ensure that all equipment is safe to use
Where the lifting equipment is owned or leased this is a direct responsibility. Where the equipment is on short term hire the employer should check to ensure that the hired equipment has a current Report of Thorough Examination. A copy of the report should be provided by the hiring company
Important Changes Ahead A scheme will shortly be introduced that brings together the knowledge and expertise of the Fork Lift Truck Association and the British Industrial Truck Association, the true leading authorities on the thorough examination of fork lift trucks
A more detailed review of Thorough Examination is contained in the ForkLift Truck Association Technical Bulletin 05
This is one of many documents provided to members of the FLTA Safe User Group. More articles from Fork Lift Truck Association: | 
