Ensure pre-shift inspections
December 1st 2004

The HSE estimates that each year there are approximately 8000 accidents involving forklift trucks.

Many of these will certainly be caused by trucks that haven’t had regular maintenance inspections.

Safeguard Systems Europe has developed a paper-based system to help users ensure that they are making regular pre-shift inspections on all trucks and also providing a visual identifier for each truck proving it has been inspected.

The system provides an inspection slip for each truck listing all components the HSE recommends are inspected. This slip is completed before each shift by ticking off each item. Completion of the slip updates a master inspection log.

Assuming the truck is passed safe, the slip is placed inside a yellow status paddle on the truck clearly identifying it has been inspected, when, by whom and that it is safe for use. If a truck fails an inspection, the slip is passed to the maintenance team for action and the status paddle is left empty, indicating it is unsafe.

The system has been adopted by many companies throughout the UK from those using just one truck to those using one hundred.

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