Following news of the HSE’s latest prosecution against an employer operating a fork lift truck with infringements under LOLER and PUWER, an industry expert has urged users to think twice before delaying inspections and maintenance.
Hearing news of the HSE’s second successful prosecution this year, Richard Hayes, Chairman of CFTS, the delivery body for the UK’s national standard for the thorough inspection of fork trucks said: “Ignoring this legal and moral duty is not a good policy for your industrial equipment and, furthermore, it’s not legal – as a number of fork lift truck users have found to their cost this year.”
In the most recent case, involving an Essex-based steel fabrication firm, HSE investigators found that the company’s fork lift had not had a Thorough Examination for more than 12 months. Furthermore, it had been kept in continuous use – despite showing obvious signs of disrepair.
The HSE’s report revealed that no fewer than 18 of the 24 key items examined on the truck required urgent repair. Defects included: worn-out tyres, loose counterweight and non-functioning lamps and beacons.
CFTS, which administers the fork lift truck industry’s own national Thorough Examination accreditation scheme, points out that not all inspections offered to fork lift users would have picked up on these issues.
“Due to the nature of their design, fork lift trucks are covered by two separate pieces of legislation – each of which has its own testing criteria,” explains Richard.
Thorough Examination
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