Pre-Use Check Finds a Fault
You are about to start a shift on a 2.5 tonne LPG counterbalance truck. During the pre-use check you find: (1) the horn works only intermittently; (2) the left-hand fork arm has a visible crack at the heel; (3) the parking brake holds on a slight slope but the footbrake pedal feels spongy; (4) the LPG cylinder is secure and full; (5) the seat belt retracts but the buckle is stiff. The truck was used on the previous shift and the previous operator signed the checklist as 'all OK'. Your supervisor says the truck is needed urgently and asks you to 'just do the easy jobs and take it out'.
1. For each defect found, state whether it is a 'do not use' defect and why.
Read the worked answer
| Defect | Do not use? | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Intermittent horn | Yes | The horn is a primary warning device for pedestrians. Intermittent = unreliable = cannot be depended on in an emergency. |
| Crack at fork heel | Yes - critical | The fork heel is the highest-stress point. A crack means the fork can fail catastrophically under load, dropping the load or the truck. Forks must be taken out of service and inspected/tested. |
| Spongy footbrake | Yes | Brakes are a primary safety system; a spongy pedal suggests air in the system or a fluid leak. The parking brake holding does not compensate. |
| LPG cylinder secure/full | No | Satisfactory. |
| Stiff seat belt buckle | Yes (until rectified) | The restraint must operate reliably; a stiff buckle may not latch or release in an emergency. |
Key principle: Any defect affecting brakes, steering, horn, forks, mast, chains, seat belt or hydraulics renders the truck unfit. The operator has the authority - and the duty - to refuse to operate an unsafe truck.
2. How should the operator respond to the supervisor's instruction, and what records and follow-up are required?
Read the worked answer
Response to the supervisor:
- Refuse to operate the truck. The operator's legal duty (PUWER / LOLER / HASAWA) is not to use equipment that is unsafe. A supervisor's instruction does not override that duty.
- Explain specifically which defects make it unfit - particularly the cracked fork and spongy brake - so the supervisor understands it is not obstruction.
- Isolate the truck: remove the key, tag it 'DO NOT USE - DEFECTIVE', and park it out of service.
- Offer an alternative: another truck, or await repair.
Records and follow-up:
- Complete a defect report for each item, with date, time, truck ID and your name.
- Notify the supervisor in writing (defect book/email) so there is a record.
- Flag the previous operator's 'all OK' sign-off - either the defects were missed or the checklist was signed without a real check. That is a safety culture issue to raise.
- Do not return the truck to service until repaired and, where required (forks, brakes), inspected/tested by a competent person.
- Record the refusal - it protects the operator and demonstrates a safe system of work.