Free checklist · Material handling
Forklift pre-use checklist for UK daily checks (free FLT check sheet)
This forklift pre-use checklist is the start-of-shift check HSE's lift truck guidance, L117, asks every operator to carry out in line with the vehicle handbook and to document: tyres and wheels, fork arms, chains and mast, fluids, the LPG bottle or battery, then functional tests of the brakes, steering, lift and tilt, horn and lights. Print it as a check sheet or run it from a QR code.
- How often
- Before each shift
- Items
- 28 checks
- Takes
- About 7 minutes
By the CheckBadges team · Updated
Layout
Forklift pre-use checklist for UK daily checks
Before each shift
| Item | OK | Problem | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before you start | |||
| Previous defectsLast check sheet has no open defect, or it's signed off as repaired | |||
| Thorough examination in dateLOLER sticker or report shows the examination is in date | |||
| Hour meterReading from the meter or display | ________ hours | ||
| Walk-round (forks lowered, power off) | |||
| Fork armsNo cracks at the heels or hooks; tips not bent; positioning locks work | |||
| Lift chainsAnchor pins and bolts secure; no damaged or stretched links; lubricated | |||
| Mast and carriageNo cracks or damage; channels clear; rollers in place | |||
| Hydraulic hoses and ramsNo obvious leaks, wet fittings or chafed hoses | |||
| Overhead guard and load backrestSecure and undamaged; no missing bolts | |||
| TyresNo cuts, bubbles, swarf or nails; side walls checked | |||
| Tyre pressuresPneumatic tyres at the handbook pressure | |||
| Wheels and wheel nutsRims and flanges undamaged; every nut present and tight | |||
| Counterweight and bodyworkCounterweight secure; covers latched; no new damage | |||
| Rated capacity plateFitted, readable and correct for any attachment fitted | |||
| Fluids, fuel and battery | |||
| Engine and transmission oil, coolantAt the correct levels on diesel, petrol and LPG trucks | |||
| Hydraulic oilCorrect level with the forks in the parked position | |||
| LPG bottleSecure in its cradle, coupling tight, hose sound, no smell of gas | |||
| BatteryCharged, no leaks, charger off, lead stored, battery retainer in place | |||
| Fuel or charge levelEnough for the shift | ☐ Full ☐ 3/4 ☐ 1/2 ☐ 1/4 ☐ Refuel or charge now | ||
| Functional tests (in the seat) | |||
| Seat and seat beltSeat locks in position; belt or restraint latches and isn't damaged | |||
| Warning lights and gaugesGauges work; no warning light stays on after start-up | |||
| Parking brakeApplies firmly and holds the truck still | |||
| Service brakesFirm pedal; stops smoothly and in a straight line | |||
| SteeringSmooth from lock to lock; no excess play or binding | |||
| Lift, lower and tiltSmooth through full travel; no drift, judder or slack chain | |||
| Side-shift and attachmentsWork properly, secure, and shown on the capacity plate | |||
| HornWorks and can be heard over the work area | |||
| Lights, beacon and reversing alarmAll working, if fitted | |||
| Mirrors and visibility aidsClean, undamaged and correctly set, if fitted | |||
Problems found and action taken:
If anything is a problem, don't use the machine: tag it out and report it. Free checklist from checkbadges.com — put it on a QR sticker and operators can fill it in on their phone.
What to check on a forklift, item by item
Before you start
- Previous defects — Last check sheet has no open defect, or it's signed off as repaired
- Thorough examination in date — LOLER sticker or report shows the examination is in date
- Hour meter — Reading from the meter or display (reading, in hours)
Walk-round (forks lowered, power off)
- Fork arms — No cracks at the heels or hooks; tips not bent; positioning locks work
- Lift chains — Anchor pins and bolts secure; no damaged or stretched links; lubricated
- Mast and carriage — No cracks or damage; channels clear; rollers in place
- Hydraulic hoses and rams — No obvious leaks, wet fittings or chafed hoses
- Overhead guard and load backrest — Secure and undamaged; no missing bolts
- Tyres — No cuts, bubbles, swarf or nails; side walls checked
- Tyre pressures — Pneumatic tyres at the handbook pressure
- Wheels and wheel nuts — Rims and flanges undamaged; every nut present and tight
- Counterweight and bodywork — Counterweight secure; covers latched; no new damage
- Rated capacity plate — Fitted, readable and correct for any attachment fitted
Fluids, fuel and battery
- Engine and transmission oil, coolant — At the correct levels on diesel, petrol and LPG trucks
- Hydraulic oil — Correct level with the forks in the parked position
- LPG bottle — Secure in its cradle, coupling tight, hose sound, no smell of gas
- Battery — Charged, no leaks, charger off, lead stored, battery retainer in place
- Fuel or charge level — Enough for the shift (Full / 3/4 / 1/2 / 1/4 / Refuel or charge now)
Functional tests (in the seat)
- Seat and seat belt — Seat locks in position; belt or restraint latches and isn't damaged
- Warning lights and gauges — Gauges work; no warning light stays on after start-up
- Parking brake — Applies firmly and holds the truck still
- Service brakes — Firm pedal; stops smoothly and in a straight line
- Steering — Smooth from lock to lock; no excess play or binding
- Lift, lower and tilt — Smooth through full travel; no drift, judder or slack chain
- Side-shift and attachments — Work properly, secure, and shown on the capacity plate
- Horn — Works and can be heard over the work area
- Lights, beacon and reversing alarm — All working, if fitted
- Mirrors and visibility aids — Clean, undamaged and correctly set, if fitted
What UK law expects before a forklift is used
HSE's guidance says the operator should check a forklift truck at the start of each shift and write the results down. The line is in L117, Rider-operated lift trucks, paragraph 162: "At the beginning of each shift, the operator should check the lift truck in accordance with the vehicle handbook and document the results. They should report to the supervisor any defects which might affect its safe operation to ensure they are put right."
That sits on top of two sets of regulations:
- PUWER 1998 requires work equipment to be maintained in good repair and inspected where deterioration could cause danger. HSE's general view is that "Records are not normally required to be made for the simplest pre-use checks", but for lift trucks L117 is more specific and asks for the documented check.
- LOLER 1998 covers the lifting parts. L117 says "the mast, chains, carriage, forks and tilt mechanism" need a thorough examination by a competent person "at least every 12 months", or every six months for trucks used to lift people "even on an occasional basis", unless an examination scheme sets other intervals.
The pre-use check replaces neither. L117's paragraphs on checks are guidance rather than Approved Code of Practice text, but HSE says following its guidance will normally be enough to comply. The full picture is in forklift pre-use checks in the UK.
How to do the check
Do it before the truck moves at the start of the shift, in this order:
- Collect the key and read the last sheet. L117 says keys should be issued by a responsible person. Don't take a truck with an open defect.
- Park it properly. Level ground, fork arms fully lowered, parking brake on, engine or power off. The hydraulic oil level only reads true with the forks in the parked position.
- Walk round it. Start at the fork arms, looking hard at the heels and mounting hooks where cracks begin, then the chains, mast, hoses, overhead guard, counterweight and every tyre.
- Check fluids and fuel. Engine trucks: oil, coolant, and the LPG bottle secure with no smell of gas. Electric trucks: battery charged and leak-free, charger off, lead stored, retainer in place.
- Get on and belt up. Note the hour meter and check the warning lights go out after start-up.
- Do the functional tests in a clear area. Brakes, steering, lift, lower, tilt, attachments, horn, lights and mirrors.
- Sign the sheet. Every line marked, a note on every problem, your name, the date and the truck's fleet number.
The defects that take a forklift out of use
L117's test is simple: "Any defects identified should be reported and if safety critical, the lift truck should not be used until the fault is rectified" (paragraph 172). These are safety critical on any counterbalance, reach or rough-terrain truck:
| Defect | Why it's safety critical |
|---|---|
| Crack at a fork heel or hook, bent tip, or faulty positioning lock | The fork arm can fail or slide off the carriage under load |
| Damaged or stretched chain link, loose anchor pin | The carriage and load can drop |
| Parking brake, service brakes or steering not right | The operator can't stop or control the truck |
| Damaged rim flange or displaced locking ring | L117 says the wheel or tyre "must be withdrawn from use" |
| Smell of LPG, or a damaged hose or coupling | Fire or explosion |
| Hydraulic leak, or a mast that creeps down | A raised load can lower or tip on its own |
| Damaged overhead guard, or a seat belt that won't latch | No protection from falling loads or in an overturn |
| Horn or lights not working | Pedestrians get no warning |
What to do when the truck fails
Park it, take the key and report it. L117 is clear that the operator finds and reports but doesn't fix: "Operators, unless suitably qualified and authorised, should not carry out repairs and adjustments to lift trucks" (paragraph 164).
Lower the forks, apply the parking brake and switch off. Hang a do-not-use tag on the controls, such as our free out-of-service tag, hand the key to your supervisor, and write the defect on the sheet. The truck stays put until a competent person has repaired it and someone has signed it back into use.
On a hired truck, the hire company usually does repairs and thorough examinations, but L117 says the user still has "to ensure that necessary inspections and pre-use checks are carried out and defects reported and remedied as necessary" (paragraph 170). More in what to do when equipment fails inspection.
Keeping the check sheets
Keep every completed check sheet, but no law says for how long. L117 asks for a documented check and "a system for reporting defects and ensuring remedial work is carried out" (paragraph 161), so keep enough history to show both. The LOLER thorough examination report has a fixed period: until the next report or two years, whichever is later. HSE accepts electronic records as long as they're held securely and you can produce them when an inspector asks. See LOLER thorough examinations and PUWER pre-use checks.
Doing the check on a phone
Clipboard check sheets get wet, lost or filled in at the end of the week. With CheckBadges, each truck carries a QR sticker: the operator scans it with their own phone, works through this list in the browser with no app or login, and signs with their name or a PIN, which suits agency drivers on their first shift. A failed item emails your supervisors with photos and warns the next operator who scans that truck until it's marked fixed. It's free for 3 machines.
Skip the clipboard
Put this forklift pre-use checklist (uk) on a QR sticker.
- Operators scan the sticker with their own phone's camera. No app, account or password.
- Anything marked Problem emails you right away, with photos, and warns the next operator.
- Every check is saved by machine with who did it and when. Print one or export a CSV.
Free for 3 machines. Every item above is already filled in — edit anything. No card.
Forklift 1
Forklift pre-use checklist (UK)
Frequently asked questions
What are FLT daily checks?
They're the operator's checks on a forklift truck (FLT) before it's used each shift: a walk-round of the fork arms, chains, mast, tyres, guard and fluids, then functional tests of the brakes, steering, hydraulics, horn and lights. HSE's L117 guidance says to follow the truck's handbook and document the results.
Can forklift pre-use checks be recorded on a phone instead of paper?
Yes. HSE says inspection records don't have to be in writing, but records kept in another form, such as on a computer, should be held securely and made available to an enforcing authority on request. A digital check sheet is fine as long as you can produce the records.
Do agency forklift drivers have to do the pre-use check?
Yes. L117 treats anyone who drives a lift truck, even occasionally, as an operator, and the check is done at the start of each shift by whoever is using the truck. Agency drivers also need training and written authorisation for the trucks they'll drive.
What's the difference between a forklift pre-use check and a LOLER thorough examination?
The pre-use check is the operator's few-minute check at the start of each shift. The thorough examination is a detailed examination of the lifting parts by a competent person, at least every 12 months (6 if the truck lifts people) or per an examination scheme, with a written report you must keep.
Who signs off a forklift that failed its pre-use check?
Someone competent and authorised to repair it, not the operator who found the fault. L117 says operators shouldn't carry out repairs or adjustments unless they're suitably qualified and authorised, and a truck with a safety-critical fault stays out of use until it's put right.
Keep reading
- Forklift pre-use checks (UK)UK forklift daily checks: HSE's L117 says operators should check the truck at the start of each shift and document the results. What to check, records, LOLER.
- Plant pre-use check appPlant pre-use check app for UK sites: operators scan a QR sticker on each machine and do the daily check on their phone, no app or login. Defects email you.
- LOLER thorough examinationsLOLER thorough examination intervals: 6 months for accessories and kit that lifts people, 12 months for other lifting equipment, or an examination scheme.
- PUWER pre-use checksPUWER pre-use checks explained: what regs 4–6 require, when a quick check is enough, when a recorded inspection is needed, who can do it and what to record.
- MEWP pre-use inspection checklistFree MEWP pre-use inspection checklist for scissor lifts and cherry pickers: the operator's check before each shift, IPAF's advice, LOLER, and what fails.
- Forklift inspection checklistFree forklift inspection checklist for the OSHA daily pre-shift check: 30 visual and operating checks with what a pass looks like. Print it or use QR codes.
Do your forklift checks by QR code.
Stick a QR code on every machine and operators do the pre-use check on their own phone — no app, no login. Free for up to 3 machines; try it with your real machines before you sign up.