Thorough Examination
If you operate a fork lift truck, you have a legal obligation to ensure that it holds a valid Report of Thorough Examination. This applies whether you own, lease or hire the truck. Failing to comply could lead to prosecution, invalidation of your insurance or, worst of all, a serious accident due to faulty equipment.
The Thorough Examination is required under Health and Safety Legislation; LOLER 98, which covers lifting regulations, whilst Inspections under PUWER 98, deal with all other safety-related items, such as brakes, steering and tyres.
An inspection as part of a preventive maintenance scheme or scheduled service is not a Thorough Examination. Other inspections carried out by a variety of specialists may, or may not, be Thorough Examinations.
As BITA’s Guidance Note GN28, Thorough Examination and Safety Inspections of Industrial Lift Trucks, explains, competent persons carrying out thorough examination and safety inspections should meet the requirements of BS EN ISO 17020:2004.
However, until quite recently there was no national scheme to oversee the provision of Thorough Examinations and ensure consistent high standards among providers. Thus it was a huge step forwards when BITA joined forces with the Fork Lift Truck Association to create Consolidated Fork Truck Services Ltd, a jointly owned company that has developed and continues to administer the industry’s first national accreditation scheme for Thorough Examination.
For peace of mind and full legal compliance, operators can choose a Thorough Examination provider accredited by the CFTS Thorough Examination scheme. Companies accredited by CFTS are obliged under their stringent procedural code to provide:
- a Report of Thorough Examination complying fully with LOLER 98
- a checklist specifying what has been checked and recording any comments made
- a certificate to keep with the truck’s documents
- a sticker, affixed to the truck, to show the month and year when the next Thorough Examination will be due.
For more details, visit the Thorough Examination website or watch our Thorough Examination video.