Making forklifts safer
December 1st 2003 H ailed by BITAs Brendon Sparks as The biggest safety advance in materials handling for years , the new national scheme for Thorough Examination was unveiled on October 16th 2003. The scheme has been introduced against a backdrop of death and injury caused by accidents involving forklift trucks - according to HSE figures 8000 serious incidents of this nature are reported each year. While all parties recognised the major influence of the driver in minimising accidents, even the safest driver can come to grief if the truck itself is unsafe to use.
The Thorough Examination initiative will look to offer total confidence when it comes to assessing a trucks condition. In doing so it will answer a pressing and long recognised need within British industry. The new national Thorough Examination scheme will look to finally fulfil all the requirements of LOLER 98 and PUWER 98. Underpinned by quality assurance and accreditation processes, it is being introduced by a new joint venture company between the trade bodies BITA and FLTA called Consolidated Fork Truck Services or CFTS.
CFTS represent the manufacturers, dealers and suppliers of related products and also the actual users of equipment covered by Thorough Examination Regulations. Their knowledge has been combined in co-operation with the HSE, to produce a scheme that carries the authority of the whole industry. Its two keystones an examination process developed by the fork lift truck industry and a Quality Assurance Procedural Code will look to bring benefits to end users and operators. The schemes documentation will bear a distinctive new mark. Its appearance is that of a kite mark and only companies accredited to the scheme will be allowed to use the new certification and quality mark. Importantly, only companies that have proved themselves capable and committed to adhering to the strict CFTS Quality Assurance Procedural Code can be accredited.
What is Thorough Examination?
It is like a cars MOT but more stringent. Both the MOT and a Thorough Examination are a means of certifying that, at the time of testing, all components that have a bearing on safety have been inspected and assessed as being in a safe condition. Just as a cars MOT and 10 000 mile service are two vastly different things, so Thorough Examination is distinctly separate from a trucks regular maintenance programme (even though in both cases some items feature in both instances). Thorough Examination is not maintenance, it is an examination embedded in legislation. As a result, Thorough Examination would not normally be included in a maintenance agreement, unless specifically requested.
Is Thorough Examination a legal requirement?
Yes. It is required under LOLER 98 that covers lifting components and PUWER 98 that deals with other safety-related items, such as brakes, steering and tyres. However, the scheme is more comprehensive, it doesnt stop at the bare minimum to avoid prosecution.
Users obligations
Every truck in service, including hired trucks must have a current Report of Thorough Examination. This is akin to an MOT certificate. Unlike an MOT, it even applies to trucks as young as one year old. Crucially, the user is responsible for ensuring that the truck has a valid document. The document must be headed Report of Thorough Examination and must comply with schedule 1 of LOLER 98. The user must be able to produce it when required to do so by an enforcement officer.
How often must a Thorough Examination
be carried out?
At least every 12 months. Depending on the application, the intensity of use and the nature of any attachments, the regulations may require this interval to be reduced to 6 or 4 months. The person carrying out the Thorough Examination will be able to determine the appropriate interval. The same person, or their employer should also be consulted for advice on whether planned changes to the trucks operation or configuration will alter this interval.
What is checked?
The items checked include brakes, steering, hydraulics, tyres, seat restraints and horn. Detailed measurements are taken to identify wear and damage to chains and forks. Particularly close inspection is made of components such as the chain-retaining bolts, mast and carriage. It is worth stressing that the intensity of the examination and the time taken in this scheme is much greater than in an MOT.
What if something is wrong?
If the defects do not immediately affect safety, a Report of Thorough Examination will still be issued. However, it will identify the defects and state a time by which they must be rectified. The user is responsible for ensuring that the necessary repairs are undertaken within that time. If the defects are imminently dangerous, the report will state that the equipment must not be used until they have been rectified. This report will normally be copied to the appropriate enforcing authority.
Who can carry out a Thorough Examination?
Someone designated as a Competent Person under the terms of the regulations. To be designated, the examiner must have had appropriate training and experience. However, CFTS has for its own purposes specified the requirements for someone to be considered a Competent Person. CFTS defines a Competent Person as having five years experience as a fork lift truck engineer and having attended a Thorough Examination seminar. This clarification should lead to peace of mind for the end user and perhaps even a reduction in insurance costs.
If Thorough Examination is already required by law, why do we need a new scheme to deliver it?
After consultation, BITA and the FLTA concluded that Thorough Examination was not being delivered comprehensively and effectively. With no regulation, standards have varied greatly between examiners and examinations have often been limited in scope.
Why is the CFTS scheme more authoritative?
First of all, only people and organisations with close involvement in working with fork lift trucks can claim the knowledge to deliver Thorough Examination effectively. The new system has been developed to offer a single definitive process drawing together the relevant requirements from LOLER 98 and PUWER 98, and interpreting them precisely in relation to fork lift trucks.
Will all examiners be part of the new scheme?
No. Only accredited companies will be entitled to use the new certification. They will gain the right to do so by establishing their competence and committing themselves to following all of the approved processes. They will be open to independent assessment and to a complaints procedure. The strict standards ensured by the CFTS scheme and endorsed by the quality mark will apply only to Thorough Examinations conducted by these accredited companies.
How does a company become accredited?
The application procedure requires each company to supply detailed information about the staff who will be involved in the Thorough Examination process, right down to depot level, and the procedures they will use. It must also demonstrate that it has the necessary equipment, facilities and training programmes. If the application is accepted it must agree: abide by the Quality Assurance Procedural Code; allow inspection of facilities by CFTS; respect the decisions of arbitration; use the official documentation.
What does the Quality Assurance Procedural Code cover?
The Procedural Code sets rigorous standards on all aspects of the Thorough Examination process, including: Independence, impartiality and integrity; Organisation and management; Administration and record keeping; Personnel issues, including qualifications and training; Duties of the Thorough Examinations Manager; How to conduct a Thorough Examination; Quality maintenance procedures for all of the above. The code also includes a complaints procedure.
What if we dont choose a CFTS accredited company?
If you look elsewhere for a Thorough Examination, the advice you receive could be flawed. By using an accredited company and displaying the CFTS Through Examination mark on your truck, and being able to show CFTS endorsed documents you will be showing your commitment to safety. More articles from BITA: |
