WORKING PLATFORMS (NON-INTEGRATED) ON FORKLIFT TRUCKS
HSE Guidance Note PM28 [3rd edition] December 2005

"OCCASIONAL USE
12. The Work at Height Regulations 2005, regulation 7(2)(b) places a duty on employers to select the most suitable work equipment for the task to be carried out regardless of the duration of the task. Nevertheless, it is foreseeable but unacceptable that people will often use unsafe methods of access to height for short duration and occasional tasks. For example, a substantial number of serious accidents occur when people are lifted on the forks or a bucket and on pallets or stillages placed on the forks of fork lift trucks. To encourage safer working practices, in these exceptional circumstances, occasional use of non-integrated working platforms with forklift trucks is allowed in the UK in accordance with this guidance note. This occasional use is allowed in the UK but may not be allowed in some other EU member states. As such, there is NO free movement of non-integrated working platforms throughout the EU and they MUST NOT be CE marked.

13. Examples of occasional use are: a. non-routine maintenance tasks for which it is impractical to hire in purpose built access equipment, b. the replacement of light fittings in high rise warehouses if the task is not carried out as part of periodic maintenance operations, c. tasks that would otherwise be carried out using less safe means of access such as ladders, because it is impractical to hire in purpose designed people lifting equipment due to the short duration and occasional nature of the task, e.g. clearing a blocked gutter d. checking on high-level damage to racking suspected of causing an immediate risk or checking on the condition of damaged roof lights.

14. Routine or planned tasks particularly those associated with production or
pre-planned activities, such as periodic maintenance or stocktaking, are not exceptional circumstances and are thus not examples of occasional use. Generally, non-integrated work platforms do not provide as high a level of safety as purpose built access equipment. Consequently, forklift trucks fitted with non-integrated working platforms are not suitable for order picking, routine maintenance or the transfer of goods or people from one level to another."