Forklift Pre-Use Inspection: What to Check Each Shift Manitoba law

Pre-Start Inspection and Safe Operating Practices

Pre-start inspection — every shift

MR 217/2006 s.22.15 requires that before powered mobile equipment is operated, its operator completes a visual inspection of the equipment and the surrounding area, and the Manitoba code of practice has a competent operator do it against a checklist the employer provides. On a working site that means a pre-start inspection at the START of every shift. The inspection takes 5–10 minutes and is where a defect is caught before the truck moves.

Visual walk-around:

• Forks — cracks, deformation, blade wear, heel cracks
• Mast — chains tight and lubricated, hoses intact, rollers intact
• Tires — wear, damage, proper inflation (pneumatic)
• Body — damage, fluid leaks beneath
• Lights, horn, backup alarm, mirrors
• Overhead guard secure
• Seat belt present and operational

With engine off, key on:

• Battery condition (electric) / fuel level (IC)
• Instrument panel indicators
• Brake pedal feel
• Parking brake operation

With engine running:

• Brake test (forward, then reverse)
• Steering through full range
• Mast lift, lower, tilt forward, tilt back
• Horn, backup alarm
• Lights

Any defect that affects safe operation: tag OUT OF SERVICE, do not operate, notify supervisor.

Inspection log

Every pre-start inspection is logged. A complete entry records:

• Date / shift / operator name
• Forklift ID
• Each inspection item with pass / fail
• Defect details if any
• Supervisor sign-off

Safe operating practices

• Travel — forks lowered (4–6 inches above ground), mast tilted back, look in direction of travel
• Speed — no faster than walking pace in pedestrian areas
• Turns — slow and gradual; never with mast raised
• Pedestrians — give priority under the site traffic rules; make eye contact before passing
• Stop sign / corners — sound horn, slow to stop, look both ways
• Loading dock — verify dock lock or wheel chock on trailer; trailer not pulled away during loading
• Refuelling / charging — designated area only, no smoking, eyewash station nearby
• Parking — forks lowered to ground, mast tilted forward, parking brake set, key removed

Mounting and dismounting — three-point contact

Operators are injured getting on and off the truck, and it is entirely preventable. Use three-point contact: at any moment, three of your two hands and two feet are in contact with the truck — using the grab handle and the step, facing the machine as you go up and down.

• Face the machine. Climbing down while facing away is how operators miss the step.
• Three points, always. Two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand — never fewer.
• Nothing in your hands. Set your clipboard, radio or coffee on the seat and get a hand free first.
• Never jump off. Jumping down from the cab causes ankle, knee and back injuries, and it is the same habit that kills operators in a tip-over.

Common mistake

"I'll skip the pre-start — I drove it yesterday and it was fine."

Yesterday's forklift may not be today's forklift. Other operators may have used it. A leak or worn part can develop overnight. A skipped pre-start is a gap in the program as well as on the truck: s.22.15 requires the visual inspection before the equipment is operated. The 5–10 minutes are the cheapest insurance in the shop.