We are pleased to announce that we are the first, and currently, the only forklift attachment manufacturing company within the UK who are accredited for Thorough Examination and inspection of attachments. This means we are now able to offer, on our attachments, and indeed that of others, what is commonly referred to as "LOLER testing".

We have put together this quick guide to help explain the ins & outs of Thorough Examination :

 

What is Thorough Examination ?

Thorough Examination is a bit like a car's MOT. Both a Thorough Examination and an MOT are means of certifying that, at the time of testing, all components which have a bearing on safety have been formally inspected and assessed as being in safe condition

 

As a user of forklift attachments, what are my obligations ?

Every truck you have in service, including hire trucks, must have a current Report of Thorough Examination. This is akin to the MOT certificate but a lot more thorough. As should every piece of lifting equipment, including forklift truck attachments (The only exception are brand new trucks/attachments, although these must be subject to Thorough Examination at some point within a year of their acquisition).

Under current legislation, you are responsible for ensuring that any fork lift truck and forklift attachment you use meets the legal safety requirement of a Thorough Examination. Failure to do so could put you at risk of prosecution by the HSE, could invalidate your insurance... or much worse in the case of a serious accident arising from faulty equipment.

The document must be headed Report of Thorough Examination, and you must be able to produce it when required to do so by an enforcement officer

The responsibility of obtaining this Report of Thorough Examination lies with the user of the truck/attachments (whether you own, lease or hire). The only exception may be for a truck/attachment operating under a short term contract of less than a year, in which case the hiring company should provide you with a copy of the current report of Thorough Examination


How often must a Thorough Examination be carried out ?

At least every 12 months. Depending on the application, the intensity of use and the nature of any attachments, the regulations may require this interval to be reduced to 6 or even 4 months. For example, equipment for lifting personnel is required to be inspected every 6 months.

 

We hope this article helps explain the requirements of Thorough Examination, and if you would like to discuss the matter further, then please do not hesitate to contact a member of our sales team, who will be happy to assist