A thorough enough examination?
Consolidated Fork Lift Truck Services (CFTS) is asking employers to think about how long each ‘Thorough Examination’ of their fork lifts is taking – and to question whether the inspections are thorough enough to assure legal compliance and truck safety.
“We regularly hear of Thorough Examinations being completed in as little as 10 to 15 minutes,” CFTS technical manager (North) Shaun Prendergast said. “That’s simply not enough to do a proper job.”
Set up as a joint initiative between the Fork Lift Truck Association and British Industrial Truck Association, CFTS is responsible for the comprehensive procedure and strict code of practice for the Thorough Examination of fork lift trucks which is followed by the scheme’s national network of accredited Thorough Examination providers.
“A CFTS inspection of a small three-wheel electric truck typically takes at least 45 minutes, while a 2.5 tonne IC engine truck might take between 1.25 and 1.5 hours. As the complexity of the truck increases, the inspections grow longer.”
Visitors to www.thoroughexamination.org can use a series of free, online, interactive guides to discover what parts of the truck are checked and why it’s so crucial to a truck’s safety.
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