Pre-use inspection and maintenance

A lift truck with weak brakes, a cracked fork, a worn lift chain or a leaking propane fitting can kill even a skilled operator. Inspection and maintenance catch these defects before they cause harm. This lesson covers the operator's pre-use inspection, what to do with a defective truck, scheduled maintenance and periodic examinations, and how to check the parts that fail most often: forks, chains, tires, brakes and fuel or battery systems.

Why inspection matters

Ontario's Regulation 851 requires a lifting device to be maintained so it can safely handle its rated load, and to be examined by a competent person at least once a year. British Columbia's section 16.3 requires the operator to inspect mobile equipment before it is first operated on a shift and to report defects. Alberta's Code has sections on visual inspection and on inspection and maintenance. CSA B335 sets out daily operator checks and planned maintenance, and the manufacturer's manual gives the detailed list for each model.

The pre-use inspection is also a moment for the operator to learn the truck's normal sounds and behaviour. An operator who checks the same truck every day notices when the steering feels different or the mast drifts, often long before a mechanic would.

The pre-use inspection

A pre-use inspection has two parts: a visual check with the truck off, and an operational check with the truck running. Most employers use a checklist based on the manufacturer's manual, completed on paper or on a tablet or truck-mounted terminal that can lock the truck out until the checklist is done.

When a defect is found

A defect that affects safe operation means the truck does not go into service. The operator should:

• park the truck in a safe place, lower the forks, set the brake and turn it off;
• remove the key or disconnect the battery, and attach a do-not-operate tag that describes the defect;
• report the defect to the supervisor using the site's process;
• not attempt repairs unless trained and authorized to do so.

Supervisors must resist the pressure to keep a defective truck running because a shipment is due. A missing horn or a weak brake might seem minor, but these are precisely the items that prevent pedestrian strikes. Repairs that involve hydraulic, electrical or mechanical energy require the lockout and energy control procedures covered in HSE-210, including blocking a raised mast or carriage before anyone works under it.

Forks

Forks wear and crack in ways that are easy to miss. The most common failure is at the heel, where the vertical shank meets the horizontal blade, because the heel drags on floors and carries the highest bending stress. Consensus standards and manufacturers set clear removal criteria. A fork should be taken out of service if:

• the heel thickness is worn to 90 per cent of its original thickness or less;
• there are any cracks, especially at the heel or the mounting hooks;
• the tips of the two forks differ in height by more than about 3 per cent of the blade length;
• the blade or shank is bent or twisted, or the angle between them has opened up;
• the positioning lock is missing or does not work.

Forks are tested and certified as a pair or individually by the manufacturer. Never heat, weld, straighten or repair a fork in the shop; replace it with an approved fork.

Lift chains

Leaf chains raise the carriage and inner mast. They stretch as the pins and plates wear, and a chain that has stretched too much can break or jump its sheave. Manufacturers usually require replacement when a chain has elongated by about 2 to 3 per cent over a measured length, or when there are cracked plates, seized or turned pins, heavy corrosion or uneven tension between the two chains. Chains are always replaced in pairs, with new anchor pins.

Tires, brakes and steering

Cushion tires wear down and can chunk or separate from the steel band; many have a wear line that marks the end of service life. Worn tires lower the truck, reduce ground clearance and change the stability characteristics. Pneumatic tires must be kept at the correct pressure, and split-rim wheels must only be serviced by trained people using a restraining cage, because a split rim that separates under pressure can kill. Brakes and steering should be checked on every pre-use inspection and adjusted or repaired by qualified technicians.

Planned maintenance and periodic examination

Planned maintenance follows the manufacturer's schedule, usually based on hours of operation, and covers lubrication, fluid changes, filter changes, brake and steering adjustment, and a detailed inspection. Separately, Ontario's section 51(1)(b) requires a thorough examination of load-handling capability before first use and at least once a year. The ministry's guideline notes that this is generally satisfied by an examination about every 2,000 hours, assuming 12 months of single-shift operation, and more often for double shifts, severe environments, heavy loads or modified trucks. The examination must be recorded and signed by the competent person, and the record kept for at least a year and long enough to hold the two most recent examinations.

Records

Inspection and maintenance records show that the program works and help spot trends. Keep the daily checklists for a period set by the site's policy, the planned maintenance work orders, any periodic examination reports, and the defect log showing when a truck was tagged out and when it was returned to service. A truck that keeps appearing in the defect log may need replacing, and a pattern of the same defect across the fleet may point to an operating practice that needs attention, such as forks dragging on the floor.

Who does what in maintenance

Clear roles prevent gaps. The operator does the pre-use inspection and reports defects. The supervisor makes sure inspections happen, takes defective trucks out of service and follows up on repairs. A trained technician, either in-house or from a dealer, does planned maintenance and repairs, and signs off that a truck is safe to return to service. Purchasing and fleet managers make sure that replacement parts, forks, chains, tires and batteries match the manufacturer's specifications and the data plate. When a rental or leased truck arrives, someone should check that it comes with its manual, a legible data plate and records of its last inspection before it goes into service.

A useful habit is a short weekly review of the defect log by the supervisor and the maintenance lead: which trucks were tagged out, how long they stayed out, and whether any defect keeps recurring. A truck that is repaired and returned the same day for the same fault three times in a month is telling you something about how it is used, not only about how it is fixed.