What is a Thorough Examination for a forklift truck?

A Thorough Examination is the mandatory inspection required by law to ensure the mechanical parts of a forklift truck are in safe working order. It is required under LOLER 1998 (covering lifting components such as mast, forks, and chains) and PUWER 1998 (covering vehicle safety components such as brakes, steering, and tyres). It is carried out by a competent person at legally specified intervals — at least every 12 months for most forklift trucks, or every 6 months for equipment used to lift people. It is not the same as a routine service or maintenance inspection.

What is a LOLER inspection for a forklift?

A LOLER inspection is the common name for a Thorough Examination — the mandatory inspection required under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER). However, a genuinely thorough Thorough Examination must also cover PUWER 1998 (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations), which governs the vehicle's safety components including brakes, steering, and tyres. An inspection that only covers LOLER is incomplete and leaves the employer potentially non-compliant with PUWER. A CFTS Thorough Examination always covers both LOLER and PUWER requirements in a single visit.

CFTS is the UK forklift industry's national accreditation scheme for Thorough Examination, created in 2004 by BITA and the FLTA (now the UKMHA) in consultation with the Health and Safety Executive. It is the only scheme providing a unified national standard for forklift Thorough Examinations covering both LOLER 1998 and PUWER 1998. Nearly 800 member depots and more than 2,500 registered competent persons across the UK and Republic of Ireland are accredited to CFTS. The CFTS mark on a Report of Thorough Examination guarantees the examination is full, valid under law, and carried out by a trained engineer to the industry's agreed quality standard.

How often does a forklift need a Thorough Examination?

Most forklift trucks require a Thorough Examination at least every 12 months. Equipment used to lift people, and all lifting accessories and attachments, must be examined at least every 6 months. An examination is also required following any exceptional circumstances that could jeopardise safety — such as an accident, overloading, or significant impact. A competent person may agree an examination scheme specifying different intervals based on the type of truck, its use, operating hours, and environment.

Who is responsible for arranging a forklift Thorough Examination?

The employer of the forklift operator is responsible for ensuring a valid Thorough Examination is in place, whether the truck is owned, leased, or hired on a long-term basis. For short-term hire arrangements of less than 12 months, the hire company carries the responsibility as owner. In all cases, the employer of the operator must ensure the truck has a valid Report of Thorough Examination and must be able to produce it when requested by an enforcement officer.

How do I find a CFTS-accredited examiner near me?

CFTS maintains a register of all accredited companies and registered competent persons across the UK and Republic of Ireland. Use the postcode search tool on thoroughexamination.org to find your nearest CFTS-accredited company. With nearly 800 accredited company depots across the UK and Ireland, a CFTS Thorough Examination is available nationwide.

Is a service or maintenance inspection the same as a Thorough Examination?

No. The Health and Safety Executive states clearly: 'Your regular inspections as part of a preventive maintenance scheme or scheduled service are not a thorough examination.' A Thorough Examination under LOLER and PUWER is a separate statutory requirement carried out by a competent person. A truck can be fully serviced and still be non-compliant if no Thorough Examination has been carried out. The two can be completed on the same visit, but the Thorough Examination must be conducted and documented first.

How do I become a CFTS-accredited company?

Companies that service, inspect, and maintain forklift trucks and wish to carry out Thorough Examinations can apply for CFTS accreditation at thoroughexamination.org. Applicants must provide detailed information about the staff who will carry out Thorough Examinations — including their qualifications and experience — along with details of facilities, equipment, and training programmes. All accredited companies must commit to the CFTS Quality Assurance Procedural Code and accept independent assessment and a formal complaints procedure.

CFTS Thorough Examination

LOLER and PUWER set the legal requirement. L117 is HSE's own guidance on how to meet it in practice, and it covers more ground than most people expect.

What L117 actually is

L117 — Rider-operated lift trucks: Operator training and safe use — is HSE's Approved Code of Practice and guidance document, currently in its third edition (2013). It merges what used to be two separate publications: the original L117 on operator training, and HSG6, which covered lift truck features, safe use, and maintenance. The result is a single document that runs from legal basics through to day-to-day practice.

The training side

The ACOP sets out an employer's duty under PUWER regulation 9 to make sure every operator — including occasional users — is properly trained before they touch a truck. It breaks training into three stages: basic training, specific job training on the actual truck and site, and supervised familiarisation before an operator works alone. Refresher training is expected too, particularly after an accident, a long absence, or a change in equipment.

The examination side

This is the part that speaks most directly to LOLER and PUWER. L117 spells out what a competent person needs to check during a thorough examination, how independence and impartiality matter if the same person also services the truck, and what happens if a defect is found that puts someone at risk of serious injury — including the duty to notify the enforcing authority. It also covers something the regulations themselves don't spell out clearly: who's responsible for thorough examination when a lift truck is hired rather than owned, and what paperwork needs to travel with it.

Why it's worth reading alongside LOLER and PUWER

The regulations tell you what the law requires. L117 tells you how to actually satisfy an inspector that you've done it — down to record-keeping, competent-person criteria, and the difference between a thorough examination and a routine inspection (they're not the same thing, and L117 is explicit about that).

Thorough Examination

A guide from CFTS

L117 explained: HSE's guidance behind LOLER and PUWER

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