Forklifts are used in the warehouses in the Greater Vancouver area on a daily basis and require frequent inspections. These checks will ensure the right quality of your equipment and protect the operator. Malfunction in the equipment can lead to a serious or even a fatal injury. Every time you use forklift it is required to do a pre-use inspection – visual and operational checks.
This is a general guide for a forklift inspection, as there are many types of lift trucks available on the market. Refer to your manufacturer guidelines for more details on pre-use inspections of your machinery.
Key Areas:
- Check forks on the vehicle, ensure they are in good working condition.
- Inspect cables for visible damage.
- Make sure your seatbelt is working.
- Check lights in your vehicle to ensure their brightness and visibility.
- Horn and back-up alarm are functioning.
- Capacity data plate is in place and ledgable.
Visual Check
This is a quick visual inspection of your vehicle and its components. In general, you want to make sure that all parts of the forklift are in place and in good condition. You need to visually check:
- Overall condition of the lift truck
- Fluids (oil, fuel, radiator)
- Connections, cables, wires
- Wheels and tires
- Forks
Operational Check
The operational check includes turning on your forklift and testing out its functions. After the visual check, you need to ensure that all mechanical parts are working fine and no suspicious noise is present. Pay attention to:
- Checking the engine for suspicious sounds and leaks
- Making sure that the seat belt is not damaged
- Lights, horns and brakes, their performance.
- Forward and reverse are functioning smoothly and properly.
- Up and Down mast cylinders are functioning smoothly and properly.
- Tilt cylinders are functioning smoothly and properly.
- Side shift ( if equipped) is functioning smoothly and properly.
Remember that if at anytime you find something wrong with your forklift, you need to immediately park it, tag it out and report it to your supervisor.