Keeping it in check
February 1st 2005

Adetailed daily inspection of any handling equipment if conducted correctly should take three to four minutes. It’s not much time to take and can potentially save lives, so why are many inspections carried out incorrectly or at worst not at all? Here, Dave Richards of Finning UK states that different handling machines should have specific check lists and highlights the need for a structured daily check.

According to Finning Health and Safety research, a driver’s failure to conduct daily checks is one of a number of unsafe working practices which contributes to around 40 per cent of fatal accidents. The most common problem is that many existing daily inspection lists are an amalgamation of information from other pieces of machinery. This means that a list could be a potentially deadly concoction of inspection notes for other machines.

Fatal consequences “For example, an electric counterbalance truck will have very different criteria to a high level order picker.

The latter has an emergency harness and fire extinguisher, but potentially the daily inspection of this piece of kit would not even mention this, if it was based on that of a counterbalance truck! Just imagine for one moment the fatal consequences if a fire breaks out and a colleague on an order picker is stranded in the air without a harness or fire extinguisher.

“It’s important that operators know and listen to what manufacturers and equipment distributors recommend, as these should all be highlighted in any handover procedure.

“There should be three key broad elements to any daily inspection no matter what the machine. These come under the headings – machine walk around, engine/battery compartment inspection and operator seated checks. All too often, only one of these is actioned.

“Normally, it is the engine/battery compartment inspection because there is still a misconception by some that operators only have to check oil or battery charge levels and that constitutes the full inspection! “That’s why the machine walk around is a vital, visual first step and operators need to look at potential hazards before they start each shift. Common walk around checks across all fork lifts include; operators should check the condition of the forks, chassis and overhead guard. Lift chains should be looked at for signs of broken links, pins, mal-adjustment or damage due to overloading. Tyres should be analysed for cuts, gouges also be inspected and they should also look out for liquids on the floor. Across every piece of handling equipment, operators should look to see if the machine capacity plate is visible. If obscured, this could lead to somebody using the machine and exceeding its lifting capacity.

Engine checks “The engine/battery checks are the second stage.

Obviously this section is very different for an electric machine compared to a diesel or LPG vehicle. With a battery powered machine, the list should include; switching off the charger and disconnecting the battery, checking the condition of battery cells for corrosion, battery cables and plugs, distilled water levels of individual cells and the attachment of the battery. Engine checks should always include; checking the coolant level, oil level, transmission oil level, hydraulic oil level, brake fluid level, battery electrolyte level (where applicable) and finally the compartment for oil, coolant or fuel leaks.

Final stage “The third and final stage of checks should be with the operator seated. Again these will vary across equipment and operators should take note of the manufacturer’s guidelines. Common checks across all handling equipment include: Checking the brakes, testing the horn, checking the seat safety switch and checking the operation of flashing beacons and work lights.

“At first glance, a check list seems like one long list, but once an operator gets into this structured routine it should become second nature. Nowadays, machines will be used around the clock, so it is vital that all operators take ownership and check any damage which may have may have occurred in the previous shift.

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