Accredited Through Examination… for total peace of mind
November 26th 2009

The UK materials handling industry has been running its own national accreditation scheme for Thorough Examination since 2004. Hailed as the biggest safety advance in years for those working with fork lift trucks, the CFTS scheme answers a pressing need for uniformly high standards and greater customer confidence in the compulsory tests.

Imagine there were no hard and fast rules for your car’s MOT test; instead, each garage would apply its own rule of thumb, and tell you if it thought a vehicle was good enough. They’d all be looking for different things – and the skimpier the test, the more profit they could make. With such an incentive to cut corners on the test, could you ever really be confident your car was legally roadworthy? Or even safe? Of course not.

Yet this is exactly the situation with the legally obligatory Thorough Examination in fork lift trucks… and the problem that Consolidated Fork Truck Services, or CFTS, was created to solve.

CFTS was developed by the UK industry’s two major trade associations – the Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA) and the British Industrial Truck Association (BITA).

Working together, in consultation with the Health and Safety Executive, the associations created a voluntary accreditation scheme, enabling companies to carry out Thorough Examination to a single, high, independently approved standard, designed to ensure safety and stand up to legal scrutiny.

As a result, fork lift users who arrange Thorough Examinations only through companies accredited to the CFTS scheme – all of which have agreed to abide by a stringent procedural code – can enjoy peace of mind, and can be sure of staying within the law.

Crucially, the criteria and procedures followed under the CFTS scheme have been developed by the organisations who know most about fork lift safety.

Moreover, CFTS manages a dedicated scheme, specifically aimed at the special needs of fork lift trucks, and not a general one that attempts to cover many different types of equipment.

Hire trucks: higher risk?

As growing numbers of businesses turn to fork lift truck rentals to keep overheads low during the economic downturn, materials handling experts have warned that some companies’ misunderstanding of Thorough Examination requirements for hire trucks puts them in danger of breaching the law.

A steady stream of queries from confused fork lift truck users looking for guidance has left many, including CFTS Technical Manager Chas Day, concerned.

“Whether a fork lift truck is being hired for a day or a year, users and fleet owners should be fully aware of their responsibilities,” explains Chas. “Knowing that any user is unclear about this subject indicates that they are being inappropriately advised, if at all.

“At present, all fork lift trucks require a Thorough Examination – at least once every 12 months – as specified in LOLER 98. Many managers assume this is covered in the hire agreement, but legislation currently dictates that Thorough Examination is the user’s legal responsibility.

“As such, it is ultimately up to the user of the equipment – not the hire company – to ensure that a current and valid Thorough Examination Certificate is in place and available for inspection. However, hire companies will usually work with you on this for short term hire (as outlined below).”

The situation can be made still more confusing when companies operate a mixture of short term and long term hire equipment. “Often, companies operating hire fleets are faced with quite complex decisions about who should carry out their Thorough Examinations, and when,” comments Chas.

“Guidance on hire equipment is not easy to find in this complex legislation. That’s why all companies accredited to the CFTS Thorough Examination Scheme have been given clear advice on maintaining the integrity of equipment while giving customers simple and straightforward advice – and peace of mind.

“This is especially important with short term hire equipment,” adds Chas. “Fork lift trucks can be hired for as little as a day, or for a number of months. With hire periods and usage varying so greatly, a fleet operator can have any number of difficulties.

“Let me be clear. A fork lift truck that is provided on short term hire, that is, for a period of up to a maximum of 12 months, should be provided with a Report of Thorough Examination by the hiring company. It is good practice for a copy of the report to be part of the hire documentation, but legally the user must confirm it is in place.

“For longer periods of hire, the responsibility rests firmly with the user and not the hire company. This, of course, usually applies to fork lift trucks on contract hire and the user will choose who carries out the Thorough Examination.”

Lifting away the confusion

Are you – and your trucks – complying with the law? If you’re not 100% certain, a video from Consolidated Fork Truck Services could help.

CFTS has added a short explanatory film clip to its website, www.thoroughexamination.org.uk, to provide fork truck users with the information they need about Through Examinations – a legal requirement for any truck aged 12 months or older.

Like the CFTS Thorough Examination itself, the short video has been designed to be easy-to-follow, clear and concise. Is your Thorough Examination up to the mark? To check if the company that carries out your Thorough Examinations is accredited to CFTS, find your nearest CFTS provider or learn more about the CFTS Thorough Examination scheme, visit the CFTS website, www.thoroughexamination.org, email mail@thoroughexamination.org or phone 01344 623800. You could be taking a very big risk if you don’t.

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