Forklift inspections — technical supervision, daily checks and documentation

Short answer: the forklift's capacity plate shows the nominal capacity at a defined load centre distance and lift height. Capacity drops when the load is longer, lifted higher or when an attachment is fitted (rotator, clamp) — every attachment changes the characteristics and should have its own updated plate.

Overloading a forklift risks not just a snapped chain but loss of stability and a tip-over — the most dangerous forklift accident type. The operator must know which truck they drive and its limits, and the plate must be legible. If it is illegible or does not match the fitted attachment, the truck needs verification before returning to work.

Short answer: before starting work the operator checks forks and mast (cracks, wear, chains), tyres, service and parking brakes, reverse signal and lights, fluid levels or battery state, leaks under the truck, and the seat belt and headrest. The check takes a few minutes and should be documented — simplest as a ticked checklist.

A defect affecting safety (brakes, running gear, mast) means withdrawing the truck until repaired — not 'finishing the shift first'. Defect reports should land in one place, not on a slip for the shift leader, because only then can a defect be linked to its repair and the truck's return to service verified.

Short answer: a forklift may be driven by an operator with a valid licence for the relevant truck category, issued by an authorised examining body, and in some cases a site-trained person for low-capacity trucks. A car driving licence does not entitle anyone to drive a forklift.

The employer should additionally train operators in the site's own conditions: traffic organisation, pedestrian zones, work near racking, battery charging or LPG refuelling. Licence validity must be tracked just like safety training — an expired operator licence means nobody may formally drive that truck.

In the Registers and inspections module every truck has a card with serial number, type, capacity, examination dates and the next examination deadline. The daily pre-shift check is a phone checklist — the operator ticks points at the truck and the record lands on the equipment card.

A defect from the check can automatically become a report in the Hazard reports module with an assigned owner and repair status, and the Training and qualifications module tracks operator licence validity — you see who may drive which truck. During walkthroughs the Inspections module additionally verifies traffic organisation and zone signage. VIMS organises the register and deadlines — examinations are done by authorised bodies and driving by licensed operators.

UDT examinations of lift trucks in Poland are: the acceptance examination before a decision permitting operation, periodic examinations at intervals set by the regulation on technical supervision for the applicable form of supervision (full, limited, simplified), ad hoc examinations (e.g. after an accident, modification or on request) and post-failure examinations. Intervals depend on the truck type — check them in the decision and the inspection logbook.

A certified maintainer holds a qualification certificate for truck maintenance, performs periodic maintenance at intervals set by the regulations and the manufacturer, and records it in the maintenance log. A certified operator drives the truck; the most common Polish categories are II WJO (lift trucks excluding specialised ones) and I WJO (all, including specialised trucks such as telescopic or with an elevating operator position). Replacing LPG cylinders requires a separate certificate.

The pre-shift check is the operator's duty — it does not replace maintenance or UDT examinations. Fork wear is assessed under ISO 5057: forks are withdrawn when blade thickness has worn by 10% of the original, when cracks or deformation appear, or when the height difference between fork tips exceeds the permitted value. The capacity plate and load chart define capacity for a specific mast and attachment configuration.

Site traffic management covers transport routes, pedestrian crossings, mirrors, speed limits and battery charging areas — it is worth showing on the site safety map. Forklift impacts are the most common cause of racking damage — see pallet racking inspections.