Pre-Use Inspection and Daily Checks
Pre-Use Inspection and Daily Checks tests whether you can put the checks in a sensible order, describe what a pass and a fail look like, and explain the defect-reporting chain. Expect questions on fork and chain condition, fluid levels, and what to do when a check fails.
Do it before the first lift, every shift
A short daily check is not a substitute for planned maintenance, and a thorough examination by a competent person is a separate legal requirement. The daily check belongs to the operator.
Walk-round, power off
Look for leaks under the machine, tyre condition and wheel nuts, cracked or worn fork heels, bent fork arms and missing locking pins, mast and chain condition, hose damage, a legible data plate, a secure LPG cylinder, and an unbroken overhead guard and load backrest. Then check engine oil, coolant, hydraulic oil, fuel and brake fluid.
Function test, power on
Horn, lights, beacon, reverse alarm, service and parking brakes, steering, seat switch or deadman, seat belt condition and retraction, and the hydraulics through the full range - lift, lower, tilt, side-shift.
What a fail looks like
- Fork heel wear beyond roughly 10% of the original thickness, cracks at the heel or welds, or a missing fork locking pin.
- Unequal chain tension, elongated or cracked links, bright wear on pins, or the mast drifting down with the lever in neutral.
- Chunked or flat tyres, a missing wheel nut, a cracked rim.
- Any hydraulic leak, or fluid on the floor.
- An inoperative horn, light, brake or seat switch.
Worked example
You find one lift chain noticeably slacker than the other, with a bright polished wear mark on a pin. The chain carries the load, so this is not a "watch it" item: park the truck, tag it out of service, tell the supervisor, record it on the checklist and let a competent person adjust or replace the chains. Re-inspect before it returns to work.
Traps
- Signing the sheet without walking the truck.
- Using a defective truck "just for one lift".
- Adjusting chains or topping up fluids beyond your competence.