Why Forklift Thorough Examinations Are So Important

If things are busy, it can often be easy to cast aside certain important processes, procedures and duties to make sure all the work is done on time. When it comes to thorough forklift examinations, this isn’t something you should skip. It’s vitally important that you maintain your equipment for a number of reasons, with the following just five of the more important ones to consider.

Safety

As per LOLER and PUWER regulations, the safety of both the operator and the staff in the area is important. Without a thorough examination, there is a much higher chance that something could go wrong with the forklift, causing it to become a danger in the workplace. 

Forklift accidents have been on the rise and, in the worst-case scenarios, can lead to deaths. A simple way to help reduce this statistic for forklift accidents and keep everyone safe in the workplace is to have an examination of your forklifts on a regular basis.

Cost

Some people would probably like to save money by forgoing the necessary thorough examination for their forklifts, but this can in fact cost more in the long run. With an examination, potential faults or areas of concern may be highlighted and can be fixed or remedied before becoming serious. Replacing parts or losing the use of a vital piece of equipment could be far more costly to a business than paying to have the right examinations carried out.

Insurance

Forklifts are pieces of equipment that you need to keep insured so that you can use them, but you might find, with certain policies, that you invalidate the insurance if the forklift is not kept in proper working order. Since the LOLER and PUWER regulations are recognised across the industry, a thorough examination is the best way to go about keeping your insurance and making sure your insurer will pay out if you do have a legitimate claim at any point.

Brand Reputation

Accidents happen from time to time, but if you’re known for blatantly putting people’s lives at risk by avoiding thorough examinations for forklifts and other equipment, it paints your brand in a bad light. 

Not only that, but the look of your forklifts will surely deteriorate over time and any visitors, potential staff or clients will see this. It could lose you valuable business if you look like you’re not taking care of operations and word could spread about you.

Staff Retention

As briefly alluded to in the last point, good staff are hard to come by and should be given a reason to stay when you do find them. Well-maintained equipment is only a part of a whole package of reasons why quality, experienced staff members will stay, but if you can’t maintain your equipment properly with thorough examinations every six months, it may interpreted as a lack of respect for their safety.

You can find out more about what exactly is involved in a thorough forklift examination in our previous post on the topic. But if you’d like to book your forklifts in for examination by our expert team, please don’t hesitate to contact us.