For the use of lift trucks, there are a few health and safety guidelines governing their use. Lift trucks are huge industrial equipment that could be dangerous and have to be handled with safety in mind. The rules and regulations state that the operator must carry out daily inspections on the lift truck and more thorough inspections on a weekly basis and on a monthly basis. The following checks need to be done on the lift truck:
Forklift Brakes - brakes on forklifts are key features which must be double and triple checked. A brake check is carried out with various pressures and pedal heights to determine the sensitivity of the brakes. The brake lights must be inspected at the same time.
The Tires - the tires are also important to the safe functioning of the truck and to the braking system. All the tires should be inspected correctly to make sure they are inflated to the right pressure and that there are no punctures in the tires.
Controller - To know whether the system is in good working condition, the forklift controller system needs to be checked by operating the forks and the release mechanism. Any hint of issues should immediately reported and tended to. The lift truck should not be used until the controller system has been fixed.
Steering Wheel - the operator should check the forklift steering wheel in order to make certain the turning of the wheel is correct. Forklift safety depends upon the steering wheel working accurately and responding well. There are different types of checks which could be performed to determine the performance of the steering wheel.
Engine Oil - the engine oil needs to be inspected by removing the dip stick from the forklift engine. The dipstick will show the colour of the oil and the level of the oil. The oil should be refilled if the level is too low. If the colour is off, there could be contamination happening.
Fire Extinguisher - all forklift trucks are required to be equipped with a fire extinguisher. The extinguisher has to be checked to ensure it will function correctly in case of a fire. Various types of fire extinguisher must be inspected in certain ways. For instance, a dry chemical extinguisher should be shaken.