There are healthy and safety guidelines governing the use of lift trucks. Any large machinery, like a forklift, is potentially dangerous and must be utilized safely. The regulations and rules state that the driver needs to perform daily inspections on the lift truck and more thorough inspections on a weekly basis and every month. The following inspections have to be done on the lift truck:
Lift Truck Brakes - the brakes are a really essential part of the lift truck machines and hence they should be double and tripled checked. A brake inspection is done with various pedal heights and pressures to determine the sensitivity of the brakes. The brake lights should be checked at the same time.
The Tires - the tires are also essential to the safe functioning of the truck and to the braking system. All the tires must be properly inspected to make sure they are inflated to the proper pressure and that there are no punctures in the tires.
Controller - the forklift controller system is checked by operating the forks and the release to determine that the system is in good working order. Any sign of issues must be reported and tended to right away. The lift truck must not be used until the controller system has been fixed.
Steering Wheel - the driver should inspect the lift truck steering wheel in order to make sure the turning of the wheel is right. Lift truck safety depends upon the steering wheel responding well and working precisely. There are a variety of checks which can be done to determine the performance of the steering wheel.
Engine Oil - the engine oil has to be inspected by removing the dip stick from the lift truck engine. The dipstick will show the oil color and the oil level. The oil must be refilled if the level is very low. If the colour is off, there might be contamination occurring.
Fire Extinguisher - all lift trucks are required to be equipped with a fire extinguisher. The extinguisher has to be tested to ensure it would work properly in the event of a fire. Various types of fire extinguisher should be inspected in certain ways. For instance, a dry chemical extinguisher must be shaken.