How often should the forks of forklift trucks be inspected?

Under normal operating conditions, forks should be inspected daily and every six months. Daily: Operators should make visual inspection of forks during the pre-start-up check, giving special attention in looking for permanent distortions and cracks. Six months: A thorough inspection of forks should be done every six months, preferably by a trained individual, to check for any cracks and distortion. Forks may need inspections more often, depending on the use of the equipment. What are some important points of a periodical (six months) fork inspection? • Check fork blades for wear. Forks are constantly subjected to abrasion by concrete floors, steel shelving, etc. This abrasion can reduce the thickness of a fork until it cannot lift loads up to the designed capacity. • Check for distortion. Forks can be bent out of shape. Depending on distortion, some forks can be straightened. The fork manufacturer is best qualified to correct this. Your local forklift supplier can make the ...  more