What is a Thorough Examination? Thorough Examination for fork lift trucks is roughly equivalent to the MOT for cars – a mandatory check to ensure that the mechanical parts of your fork lift are in safe working order. It is not the same as regular maintenance – so you need one whether or not you’ve just had the truck serviced. Here is how the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines Thorough Examination: “Thorough examination of industrial lift trucks is required under health and safety law: LOLER 1998, which covers lifting equipment, and PUWER 1998, which deals with all other safety-related
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Monthly Archives November 2017
Examiner Industrial Action starts today – updates and advice
As reported last week driving examiners will commence industrial action today (with work to rule) and are still committed to striking on 4th and 5th December – as the new driving test launches. Members of the Public and Commercial Service union (PCS) are taking action, ostensibly in opposition to the changes to the driving test, but primarily due to their wider grievances over contracts. The Union said examiners were being told to work longer, harder and for no extra pay when the new tests are introduced. DVSA argues PCS are using the new Driving Test merely as a battering ram
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DRIVING EXAMINER STRIKE – 4 & 5 DECEMBER 2017
Some driving examiners are planning to take strike action on Monday 4 December and Tuesday 5 December 2017. Some driving examiners who are members of the Public and Commercial Service (PCS) union are planning to take strike action on Monday 4 December and Tuesday 5 December 2017. You can either: change your test appointment to a later date turn up for your test as planned, but your examiner might be unavailable Not all driving examiners are union members, and even if they are, they might choose not to go on strike. The way the car driving test works is changing on
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Foot Crushing Incident Caused by Inadequate Training
A firm has been fined after inadequate planning led to a worker’s foot being crushed, resulting in the amputation of three toes. On 15th December 2016, Nicholas Jenkin, an employee of Swadlincote Aluminium and Welding Co Ltd, was painting several metal truck wash grids when one of the metal grids, which weighed a tonne, fell through the forks of a lift truck, landing on his foot, crushing it. Following the incident, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), found that Swadlincote Aluminium and Welding Co Ltd had failed to sufficiently plan the task and the lift truck driver had not received
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INADEQUATE FORKLIFT CHECKS COMPROMISE SAFETY
This a recent article by the RTITB’s Nick Welch which explains the importance of pre use checks for forklift trucks. “Every forklift truck operation should begin with a pre-use inspection. However, these checks are often conducted incorrectly, or overlooked completely,” says Nick Welch, Technical Director for RTITB, the leading workplace transport training accrediting body.“This poses a serious safety risk both to lift truck operators and others around them.” Research carried out by RTITB in 2016 showed that 65% of forklift operators didn’t know how to correctly conduct the driving and braking pre-use check, 49% did not know how to check
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DRIVING TEST changes from Monday 4 December 2017
The driving test will change from Monday 4 December 2017 to include following directions from a sat nav and testing different manoeuvres. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has confirmed that the driving test in England, Scotland and Wales will change from Monday 4 December 2017. The driving test works differently in Northern Ireland. The changes are designed to make sure new drivers have the skills they’ll need to help them through a lifetime of safe driving. The changes will only apply to car driving tests to begin with. The 4 driving test changes 1. Independent driving part of the
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Tyre Company Fined £300k After Operator is Crushed by Lift Truck
A tyre company has been fined £300,000 following the breach of health and safety regulations which resulted in the death of a forklift operator. In July 2014, operator, Stephen Woollas, was working at the Gonerby Hill Foot site of Vau-Lug Traction Tyres Ltd. Mr Woollas was moving a load of tyres whilst travelling forward, but was unable to see the path ahead of him. Whilst moving forward, the truck tipped over, crushing Mr Woollas underneath it. The investigation found that at the time of the incident, Mr Woollas was not wearing a seatbelt. However, further investigation found that the warning
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