Daily Inspections
2 hours
Learning Objectives
- •State the OSHA requirement to examine a forklift before it is placed in service each shift
- •Perform a key-off visual pre-start inspection of a forklift
- •Perform an operational check of the truck with the engine running or power on
- •Explain what to do when an inspection reveals a defect
Topics Covered
- •OSHA 1910.178: industrial trucks must be examined before being placed in service; trucks used around the clock are examined after each shift
- •Key-off visual check: tires/wheels, forks (heel cracks, wear, bend), mast and chains, hoses and fittings, leaks under the truck, data plate legible, overhead guard and load backrest in place
- •Fluid checks: hydraulic, engine oil, coolant, fuel/LP connection or battery condition and water level
- •Operational (key-on) check: lift and tilt functions, service brake and parking brake, steering, horn, lights, backup alarm, gauges and warning lights
- •Seat belt / operator restraint condition and function
- •A defect found in inspection must be reported immediately
- •A truck that is defective or in any way unsafe must be taken out of service until restored to safe operating condition
- •Inspection records and tag-out of an out-of-service truck
Resources
Self-Check Questions
Question 1: How often does OSHA require a forklift to be examined?
- A. Once a week
- B. Once a month
- C. Before it is placed in service each day (and after each shift if used around the clock)(correct)
- D. Only when a problem is suspected
Show Explanation
Explanation:
OSHA 1910.178 requires that industrial trucks be examined before being placed in service, and trucks used on a round-the-clock basis be examined after each shift. Exam tip: the pre-shift inspection is a legal requirement, not optional.
Question 2: Which of the following is checked during the KEY-OFF (visual) portion of a forklift inspection?
- A. Service brake feel
- B. Horn and backup alarm function
- C. Forks for heel cracks and wear, hoses for leaks, and that the data plate is legible(correct)
- D. Steering response
Show Explanation
Explanation:
The key-off visual check covers the things you inspect without power: forks, mast and chains, tires, hoses and fittings, leaks under the truck, fluid levels, and the condition of the data plate and guards. Brakes, horn, and steering are checked in the operational (key-on) portion.
Question 3: During your inspection you find the service brake goes nearly to the floor before engaging. What must you do?
- A. Use the parking brake instead and keep working
- B. Drive slowly and pump the brake as needed
- C. Take the truck out of service and report the defect — do not operate it until repaired(correct)
- D. Finish the current task, then report it
Show Explanation
Explanation:
A truck found defective or in any way unsafe must be taken out of service until restored to safe operating condition. Compromised brakes are an immediate out-of-service condition — there is no "finish this load first."
Question 4: When a defect is found during a pre-shift inspection, OSHA requires that it be:
- A. Logged at the end of the month
- B. Reported immediately(correct)
- C. Ignored if the truck still runs
- D. Fixed by the operator on the spot regardless of training
Show Explanation
Explanation:
OSHA requires defects to be reported immediately and corrected. The operator does not have to be the one who repairs it, but the defect must be reported and the truck kept out of service until it is fixed.
Question 5: Why should the operator check the seat belt / operator restraint during the daily inspection?
- A. It is only required on outdoor trucks
- B. The restraint is the operator's primary protection in a tipover — it keeps them in the protected zone of the cab(correct)
- C. It only matters if the truck has doors
- D. Seat belts are optional on forklifts
Show Explanation
Explanation:
In a tipover, the most dangerous thing an operator can do is jump — they can be crushed by the overhead guard. The operator restraint keeps them in the seat within the protected zone, so it must be present and functional.
Question 6: A forklift used non-stop across three shifts should be examined:
- A. Once at the start of the first shift only
- B. After each shift(correct)
- C. Once a week
- D. Only when the operator changes
Show Explanation
Explanation:
OSHA requires trucks used on a round-the-clock basis to be examined after each shift, so problems that develop during one shift are caught before the next operator takes over.