What LOLER actually requires for forklifts
Most forklift operators know their truck needs an annual examination. What catches companies out is the fork arms. They are not part of the forklift under LOLER 1998. They are lifting accessories, and they require a separate 6-monthly examination. Annual truck certificate in hand, forks overdue: still non-compliant.
The HSE consistently identifies this as one of the most frequent gaps in workplace LOLER programmes. The LOLER thorough examination requirement has applied to forklifts since 1998. The fork arm trap has always been there. It still catches people.
How often does each type of forklift need to be examined?
Many operators get their forklift examined annually and assume they are compliant. They are not. If the fork arms have not been separately examined at 6-month intervals, the company is in breach of LOLER regardless of the truck's examination status. HSE inspectors know this and check for it.
Fork arms need their own report. Every 6 months.
Fork arms are lifting accessories under LOLER. They must be examined every 6 months, separately from the truck's 12-month cycle. They need their own examination report and their own asset identification. A combined report covering truck and forks is not compliant.
The fork arm examination checks for cracks at the blade root, blade tip thickness measured against original manufacturer dimensions, heel wear, the height difference between the two arms, and straightness from heel to tip. A crack at the blade root can cause catastrophic blade separation under load. The usual discard threshold is 10% wear from original thickness. If your forks have not been separately examined in the last 6 months, your 12-month truck certificate does not make you compliant.
What the competent person checks on the truck itself
CFTS: the accreditation scheme worth knowing
CFTS (Consolidated Fork Truck Services) accredits thorough examination providers for forklifts in the UK. Accreditation is not a legal requirement under LOLER, but it is widely accepted as evidence of competence. Using a CFTS-accredited examiner gives you a strong position in any HSE investigation. The FLTA (Fork Lift Truck Association) recommends it, and the HSE references the scheme in its own guidance.
Does your ride-on pallet truck need 6-monthly examination?
Standard electric pallet trucks, where the operator walks alongside and only the forks lift, require a 12-month examination. The question is different for ride-on pallet trucks where the operator stands or sits on a platform attached to the machine. If that platform raises the operator upward with the forks, even partially, the machine may be classified as equipment used for lifting persons and the 6-month interval applies.
The test is simple: does your platform rise during operation? Fixed at ground level, only forks lifting: 12 months. Platform rises with you on it: 6 months. When uncertain, default to 6 months. The HSE takes the view that uncertainty about person-carrying classification should always be resolved in favour of the more protective standard.
The LOLER certificate and daily checks: both required, both different
Your LOLER certificate and your daily pre-use check records are not the same thing. They serve completely different purposes. The thorough examination is a periodic, formal assessment by a competent person, producing a Schedule 1-compliant report. It happens annually or 6-monthly and must be retained as a legal record.
Daily pre-use checks are the operator's responsibility before each shift. They are a PUWER requirement: confirming the machine is in safe condition for use that day. A forklift with a current LOLER certificate but no daily check records is still non-compliant. In the event of an accident, absent daily check records are treated as evidence of systemic safety mismanagement.
What happens when the examiner finds a fault
Minor defects get noted in the report with a timescale for remediation. Defects that pose immediate risk are a different matter: the competent person must notify you and the relevant enforcing authority without delay, and the forklift comes out of service until repaired. The examination report becomes a permanent part of the LOLER audit trail. The HSE will review it in any enforcement action. Make sure your records are complete.