All Thorough Examinations are not the same

Unlike an MOT, a Thorough Examination is open to
some interpretation – which could cause major
problems for employers, says the FLTA

Research indicates that there is still
a great deal of confusion among
employers regarding exactly what
must be inspected when carrying out a
Thorugh Examination of a fork lift
truck. Most know it includes the forks
and the lift mechanism (it is, after all, a
fork lift truck), but what about the
brakes and the steering?
Surprisingly, perhaps, the answer depends
on which version of Thorough
Examination you sign up to.

Unlike automotive MOTs, the
inspection procedure for Thorough
Examinations is open to a fair degree of
interpretation. This means that, in effect,
a provider is able to decide what should
and shouldn’t be included.

It was to overcome this untenable
situation that the two leading
organisations in the fork lift truck
industry – the British Industrial Truck
Association (BITA) and the Fork Lift
Truck Association (FLTA) – joined forces
to create a single, national procedure
available to truck users, wherever their
industry or location. The resulting
delivery body, Consolidated Fork Truck
Services (CFTS), established a
comprehensive procedure and strict code
of practice, recruited expert staff,
provided management training and put in
place the mechanism to monitor
standards. Companies accredited to the
scheme can be identified via the
distinctive “kite” certification mark.

What are the differences?
According to CFTS technical manager
Chas Day: “The nub of the problem is
that there simply isn’t a single piece of
legislation exclusively for fork lift trucks.

Instead, they are governed by two separate
pieces of legislation: Provision and Use of
Work Equipment Regulations 1998
(PUWER 98), which covers everything
from photocopiers to motor vehicles,
and Lifting Operations and Lifting
Equipment Regulations 1998
(LOLER 98), which also embraces
equipment such as tower cranes
and dumb waiters in restaurants.

“The task facing CFTS was to
establish a “best practice” process
that offers the appropriate level of
inspection to the equipment… and the
greatest level of protection to those
responsible for the safety of the fork lift
truck operator (and the many more coworkers
and pedestrians who come into
contact with what is a very dangerous
piece of equipment)
“Examining your truck against one set
of criteria without the other clearly leaves
many crucial elements of your truck
unchecked… and in a potentially
dangerous state.

“Yet there are still inspections being
carried out under the banner of
Thorough Examination that only check
those items covered by LOLER (indicated
by the blue items in the photograph). In
our view, that really is only doing half the
job. How can you claim to have properly
inspected a truck for safety if those items
that come under PUWER (shown in red)
are simply ignored? In my view that
leaves unsuspecting managers and
directors potentially exposed to
prosecution should anything go wrong. ”

How thorough are your
Thorough Examinations?
Visit www.thoroughexamination.org to
check whether your Thorough
Examination provider meets CFTS
standards. Simply enter your post code in
our member finder tool to find out
whether your firm has received
accreditation.

While there, you can find also find
answers to frequently asked questions or
watch a short explanatory video about
Thorough Examination.

You are also welcome to call 01276
502930, fax 01276 502930 or email
[email protected].