End of Summer Basic Forklift Maintenance

 

Now that the days are getting a little shorter and the temperatures will soon be dropping along with the leaves, it’s time to prepare for the end of the Summer and your seasonal forklift maintenance.

As always, every shift should begin and end with the routine internal and external maintenance inspection as required by OSHA.

In addition to that procedure, let’s check your forks and look for cracks, bends, blade wear and other extreme damage that could compromise the integrity of the forks.

Check the welds on the forklift to make sure they are intact and not showing any signs of failing.

Take a good hard look at your tires, check the treads and make sure they are filled properly and not missing any rubber.

Look for oil leaks. Check inside the engine and under the truck.

Check the integrity of the overhead roll cage.  Look for any dents or damage.

Examine the original safety equipment to make sure it’s functioning correctly.  Also, let’s use this time to check any equipment or accessories you may have added to the forklift after you acquired it.

If you find any of the above damage, the forklift must be taken out of the rotation and serviced.  It should not be checked back into service until any necessary repairs are made.

Check your maintenance records and make sure your forklift isn’t due for any scheduled maintenance according to the operator’s manual.  A truck could be requiring work due to time in operation (hours on the meter) or by days or months in service.

OSHA requires your operators to use a daily check list and this is a great opportunity to make sure this is happening at the beginning and end of every shift, with no exceptions.

Our technicians can walk you through the basic maintenance procedures, or handle all your inspections and maintenance for you.  You decide!  Call us!