How do I assess a warehouse’s forklift fleet and operator training?

Forklifts are expensive, and the people driving them carry real risk. Start with a fleet list that gives make, age, hours, fuel or battery type, ownership and the date of the last service. Check the leased ones for contract terms and what happens at a change of owner.

Inspect them on the floor. Watch for leaks, worn tires, damaged forks, weak brakes and tired batteries. Read the daily pre-use check sheets, if any, and see whether they are filled in honestly or just ticked in bulk. Ask for repair invoices, and look for lifts that spend more time in the shop than on the floor.

Turn to the operators. Ask how new drivers are trained, who signs them off, how often they are re-evaluated and how near misses are handled. Look at incident and damage reports to see where problems cluster. Finally, ask whether the warehouse depends on one trainer or one senior operator. Your insurance adviser can tell you how the history may affect coverage. Also ask whether any attachments, chargers or spare batteries belong to a supplier rather than to the business. Ask which units the operators avoid, and why.

Key takeaways

• Build a fleet list with age, hours, service dates and ownership or lease terms.
• Read daily check sheets and incident reports, and watch the lifts in use.
• Ask how operators are trained, signed off and re-evaluated, and by whom.