A forklift operator ticks the sheet, notices a cut tyre and starts work because the truck still moves. The form has been completed, but the risk has not been controlled. Forklift pre-use checks should find problems before the first movement, trigger a clear stop-or-use decision and connect each defect to competent repair. For employers operating warehouses, yards and workshops, that system matters more than the existence of a checklist.
Make the check part of the control system
HSE's lift-truck guidance says the operator should check the truck at the beginning of each shift, in accordance with the vehicle handbook, and document the results. That means the checklist should match the particular truck and attachment. A generic list copied across counterbalance, reach and rough-terrain trucks can miss safety-critical features.
The person checking the truck needs instruction on what normal looks like, which defects require immediate isolation and how to report uncertainty. The check should happen before normal work starts, in a safe, well-lit area with the forks lowered and the truck secured. On a multi-shift operation, yesterday's tick is not evidence of the truck's condition at the start of today's shift.
Keep the process proportionate, but make it real. Supervisors should sample completed checks, inspect the truck occasionally and challenge identical records or recurring faults. A form completed from memory after the truck has already moved loads is not a pre-use control.
HSE: Rider-operated lift trucks—L117 ↗ · Related guide: workplace transport risk assessment →
What a forklift pre-shift check should cover
Start with a walk-around before the truck is energised. Follow the manufacturer's handbook and look for tyre damage or pressure problems, loose wheel nuts, damaged wheels, leaks, insecure guards, fork cracks or distortion, missing fork-positioning locks, damaged chains and loose anchor pins. Confirm the capacity plate and warning labels are present and legible, and check that any attachment is secure and appropriate for the truck.
Battery trucks need checks for charge, leakage, cable and connector condition, battery restraint and safe disconnection from the charger. Internal-combustion trucks need the relevant fuel, oil, coolant and transmission-fluid checks. LPG cylinders and connections require particular care; any smell or evidence of leakage needs an immediate stop and the site's emergency procedure.
The functional check should cover steering, service and parking brakes, horn and other warning devices, lights where required, instruments and the lifting, lowering and tilt controls. Test in the designated area without exposing pedestrians. Seat condition, operator restraint, visibility aids and interlocks should also be checked where fitted. Never put hands into the mast or under raised components to investigate a problem.
Turn every defect into a clear decision
The operator should report any defect that might affect safe operation to the supervisor so it can be put right. They should not improvise a repair or decide that a fault is acceptable because the truck is needed. HSE's operator guidance is explicit: do not use a lift truck known not to be working properly, and leave repairs to a qualified maintenance engineer.
Your defect procedure should identify who can decide whether the truck is safe, how it is isolated and who authorises its return. For a safety-significant defect, park on level ground, fully lower the forks, apply the brake, select neutral, switch off and remove the key or activating device. Use a prominent out-of-service tag and control access so another worker cannot simply take the truck.
Record the truck identifier, time, fault, reporter, immediate action and person notified. Then record the competent repair, any testing or examination required and the return-to-service authorisation. Closing the electronic ticket without confirming the physical truck is safe creates an administrative fix, not a risk control.
Build a stop, repair and return-to-service process.
HR + SAFETY can help North East employers create truck-specific check sheets, define isolation rules and connect operator reports to competent repair and supervisor closeout.
Discuss forklift defect controlsDo not confuse checks, maintenance and thorough examination
A pre-use check is a frontline inspection for visible or functional problems. Planned preventive maintenance is scheduled work that keeps the truck safe and reliable. A thorough examination is a systematic examination by a competent person under the applicable lifting-equipment duties. These controls support one another, but none replaces the others.
PUWER requires work equipment to be maintained in an efficient state, efficient working order and good repair. HSE explains that lift-truck brakes, steering, tyres and other non-lifting parts fall within PUWER controls. LOLER applies to the lifting parts and requires thorough examination at suitable intervals. For a truck lifting goods, HSE describes a 12-month interval or the period specified in a written examination scheme; different arrangements apply when people are lifted.
A current examination report does not make a fresh tyre cut, leaking hose or failed brake safe. Equally, a fault-free pre-shift sheet is not a maintenance record or thorough-examination report. Keep the records linked by truck identifier so the manager can see the whole condition history rather than three disconnected folders.
HSE: thorough examination of lift trucks ↗ · Related guide: LOLER thorough examination → · Related guide: PUWER inspection requirements →
Manage hired trucks, attachments and changing conditions
Hiring a forklift does not remove the user's day-to-day responsibilities. Before first use on site, confirm that the truck and attachment suit the task, surface, gradient, environment and load. Obtain the handbook, maintenance information and current examination evidence, then add the truck to the site's check, defect and traffic-management arrangements.
An attachment can alter capacity, stability, visibility and the checks needed. Confirm that the truck has been correctly derated and that the capacity plate covers the fitted configuration. Operators must be trained and authorised for the truck and attachment they use; familiarity with a different model is not enough.
Review the arrangement after collision, overload, recurring defect, significant repair or a change in use. Where pedestrians, visiting drivers, agency workers or vulnerable people may be exposed, increase segregation, supervision and control of keys. Higher-consequence environments may also justify more frequent checks or tighter defect thresholds based on risk and manufacturer advice.
Supervisor's forklift pre-use checklist
Legal requirements and HSE guidance were checked on 6 October 2026. The practical test is simple: if a serious defect is found at the start of a busy shift, can the operator stop the truck without pressure, can the supervisor secure it, and can both show who will decide when it is safe again?
- Give each truck and attachment a unique identifier.
- Base the check on the manufacturer's handbook and actual configuration.
- Require a documented check at the beginning of every shift.
- Train and authorise operators to recognise defects and escalate uncertainty.
- Check tyres, wheels, forks, locks, mast, chains, guards and visible leaks.
- Check the battery or fuel system and relevant fluid levels safely.
- Function-test steering, brakes, warnings, lights and hydraulic controls.
- Define which defects mean immediate isolation and who can make that decision.
- Prevent use with a removed key, prominent tag and controlled access.
- Track repair, verification and named return-to-service authorisation.
- Link pre-use records to maintenance and thorough-examination records.
- Audit completed checks and investigate repeated or overdue defects.
Effective forklift pre-use checks combine a truck-specific inspection, an operator who can recognise problems, a firm isolation rule and a closed-loop repair record. Keep that daily control separate from planned maintenance and statutory thorough examination. A signed sheet records a decision; it does not make an unsafe truck safe.
This guide provides general information for UK employers. It is not legal advice and should not replace advice based on the facts of a specific matter.