David Goss Technical Director, UK Material Handling Association
Growing demands to ensure the prompt delivery of goods and services to so many critical sectors of the UK economy is increasingly placing a strain on the whole logistics sector.
Under such circumstances, it is crucial that operational efficiency is maintained at all times. But this should never be at the expense of safety, especially when it comes to material handling equipment.
With so many businesses reliant on material handling equipment to fulfil their operations, there is a constant need to ensure that all equipment remains in good working order with no dangerous defects or deterioration.
It is the responsibility of employers to ensure that at all times, any piece of material handling equipment operated by their company is safe to use and compliant with the applicable regulations. The best way of ensuring this is to have the equipment examined at regular intervals by a suitably qualified competent person.
UKMHA-approved best practice is to put the equipment through a Consolidated Fork Truck Services (CFTS) inspection known as Thorough Examination. Thorough Examination is the name given to the mandatory inspection required by law to ensure that a piece of lifting equipment is in safe working order. It is similar to the MOT for cars.
UKMHA recommends that Thorough Examinations on lift trucks should be completed by a CFTS-accredited Competent Person. The CFTS mark is a guarantee that a lift truck will be examined carefully, and that key components such as brakes and steering will also be checked along with the lifting mechanism.
A CFTS-accredited Competent Person must have a minimum of five years’ experience as a forklift truck service engineer, including appropriate apprentice training. They must be capable of inspecting a full range of forklift trucks for safety critical items. These include, all hydraulics, braking systems, steering systems, traction systems, safety systems and general structure. They must also have passed a Thorough Examination course approved by Consolidated Fork Truck Services and be authorised as a Competent Person by their current employer. They are required to undergo a revalidation course at least every five years, provided by a body approved by CFTS.
If the Competent Person judges that a defect in the lifting equipment presents an existing or imminent risk of serious personal injury, they are under a legal obligation to make a report to the relevant Enforcement Authorities. The relevant Enforcement Authority is the Government agency responsible for workplace safety.
Those looking for a Competent Person to carry out a Thorough Examination should consult the CFTS. It maintains a list of members and details of this are available from the CFTS website (www.thoroughexamination.org).
Generally, MHE must receive a Thorough Examination at least once a year. However, examinations could be required more often depending on the type of truck and the application – and in the current situation when demand is so high there can be a risk of equipment being pushed to the max.
Thorough Examination is valuable because it identifies things like fork and chain wear before they become dangerous. According to analysis by the British Industrial Truck Association (BITA) – a constituent member of the UKMHA, alongside CFTS – 30 per cent of reportable forklift equipment failures are due to chain failure and a further 20 per cent are due to fork failure.
The process of Thorough Examination is governed by regulations enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). These state that Thorough Examination of industrial lift trucks is required under LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations) 1998, which covers lifting equipment, and safety inspections of other safety-related items, such as brakes, steering and tyres, are required under PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations) 1998.
BITA GN28 guidance note, which is the industry-approved guideline on Thorough Examination and Safety Inspection of Industrial Lift Trucks in accordance with the provisions of LOLER 1998 and PUWER 1998, was updated last year.
GN28 revision 5, which is free to UKMHA members, incorporates several changes to the previous guidelines, including clarification around the date of first examination, confirmation on requirements for lorry-mounted trucks, recommended intervals between examinations for attachments, and improved guidance on inspection and test criteria.
The unique ability of the UKMHA to shine a beacon on issues such as Thorough Examination was highlighted during the Fork Lift Truck Association’s 2021 Safety Drive. In addition to reinforcing the importance of Thorough Examination, LOLER and PUWER, the Safety Drive also highlighted the importance of proper training for engineers, drivers, management and other workers. Protection of engineers working on-site and the safety of forklift drivers and pedestrians working alongside MHE were also highlighted.
The arrival of the UK Material Handling Association is a gamechanger for the industry and with our unique structure and overarching membership, we can shine a light on important issues such as promoting higher safety standards. We continue to apply these principles as we move forward and by working with manufacturers, dealers and end users, will position the UKMHA as the single voice of the UK material handling sector.
The importance of Thorough Examination was the theme of the 2021 National Forklift Safety Day, an event promoted by the UKMHA. For further details on this, and previous NFSD campaigns, visit www.nationalforkliftsafetyday.co.uk
For more information, visit www.ukmha.org.uk