Some forklift users may be breaking the law by confusing "inspections with legally obligatory thorough examinations" (Forkliftaction.com News #212).

Brian Tyrer, chairman of Consolidated Fork Truck Services (CFTS), says "inspections" can be carried out by different people but not all of them fulfil the legal requirement for thorough examination.

"Service engineers, insurance inspectors and specialist inspection companies might all inspect your equipment and give you an inspection report. Whether that document counts as a report of thorough examination is a vitally important question the user must ask."

Tyrer adds that an inspection that is a part of a preventive maintenance scheme or scheduled service is not a thorough examination.

CFTS advises truck users to ask the inspector whether the inspection is a thorough examination according to the LOLER 98 legislation.

Users should request a copy of the report form and look for the words "Report of Thorough Examination" on it. The organisation warns that if that is not specified in the documentation, they should question its validity.

CFT says users can be confident they are complying with the law by obtaining thorough examinations through companies accredited by the organisation's thorough examination scheme.

"We have heard comments that the CFTS scheme is trying to establish a 'gold standard' for thorough examination as if that was a bad thing," says Tyrer.

"As far as we are concerned, the standard we have set is something to be proud of and we will continue to insist that there is only one way that a thorough examination be carried out - the right way."

CFTS was founded as a collaboration between the UK forklift industry's two major trade associations - the Fork Lift Truck Association and the British Industrial Truck Association - to develop and administer the industry's national accreditation scheme for thorough examination.

Email mail@thoroughexamination.org for more information on the accredited scheme.