Hire Truck with No Data Plate and a Taped Seat Switch
You are asked to cover a late shift on a hired 2,500 kg LPG counterbalance truck while your usual truck is serviced. Your normal truck has three pedals, a direction lever on the left of the column, and three hydraulic levers on the right. The hire truck has a joystick on the armrest, a rocker direction switch on the joystick, and a single inching/brake pedal. The data plate is painted over and the capacity is not visible. The seat switch has a strip of tape holding it down. The LPG cylinder is nearly empty and the spare cage is 20 m away; the spare cylinder valve has no cap and the hose connection is loose. The hire company's handbook is in the cab but is for a different model. The yard is level, and the first job is a 1,000 kg pallet at a 500 mm load centre.
1. What must you do before operating this hire truck, even though the first load is only 1,000 kg?
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I would treat it as an unfamiliar truck and complete a full familiarisation, not just jump on because the load is light. I would check the data plate, capacity at the actual load centre, any attachment, tyre condition, brakes, steering, horn, lights, seat switch, seat belt, mast, chains, hoses and LPG system. I would obtain the correct handbook or a proper induction for this model, because the joystick and rocker direction switch are not the same as my normal controls. In a clear area I would test the controls at low speed, confirm which pedal is the inching/brake pedal, learn the hydraulic joystick functions, and identify the emergency isolation. I would not carry a load until I could stop, steer and lower the forks confidently.
2. The data plate is painted over and the seat switch is taped down. Can you use the truck? What do you tell the hire company and supervisor?
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No - the truck should not be used. Without a legible data plate I cannot confirm the rated capacity at 500 mm or at any other load centre, so I cannot know whether 1,000 kg is safe. The taped seat switch is a defeated safety device: it may allow the truck to be driven or the hydraulics to operate while the operator is not properly seated, which defeats the deadman function. I would report both defects to the supervisor and the hire company, ask for the correct data plate and a replacement or repaired seat switch, and record the rejection in the handover. I would not remove the tape or use the truck on the basis that 'it is only a 1,000 kg pallet', because the capacity is unknown and the safety device is compromised.
3. Describe how you would change the LPG cylinder safely, including the defects on the spare cylinder.
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I would change the cylinder in the designated outdoor or well-ventilated area, away from ignition sources, with the engine off and the cylinder valve closed. I would wear gloves and eye protection, disconnect the hose carefully, inspect the seal and connection, and check the spare cylinder for damage. The missing valve cap and loose hose connection are defects: I would not fit a cylinder with a damaged valve or a connection that will not seal. I would fit the cylinder securely in the correct orientation, connect the hose, open the valve slowly and leak-test the joint with the approved method, never with a flame. If I smelled gas, I would close the valve, stop, ventilate and report it. I would also make sure the empty cylinder is stored upright and secured, and that no one smokes or uses a phone near the exchange.