Every forklift has to be checked before it goes to work. It isn't a best practice or a company policy. It's a federal rule, and it's one of the first things an OSHA compliance officer asks about after an incident.
This guide covers what the rule says, then walks through a complete pre-shift checklist: the visual check with the key off, the operational check with the truck running, and the extra items for electric, internal combustion and propane trucks. Use it as the basis for your own checklist, adjusted for the trucks you run.
What OSHA requires
OSHA's powered industrial truck standard, 29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7), says trucks "shall be examined before being placed in service, and shall not be placed in service if the examination shows any condition adversely affecting the safety of the vehicle." In practice that means:
- At least daily. Every truck is examined before it's used each day.
- After each shift for round-the-clock trucks. If a truck runs on more than one shift, each shift checks it.
- Defects reported and corrected immediately. A truck that fails the check doesn't go into service.
Two related rules back this up. Under 1910.178(p)(1), a truck found "in need of repair, defective, or in any way unsafe" must be taken out of service until it's restored to safe operating condition. And under 1910.178(q)(1), all repairs must be made by authorized personnel.
The standard doesn't prescribe a specific form. OSHA's Powered Industrial Trucks eTool recommends two stages, a visual check with the key off and then an operational check with the truck running, and says problems should be recorded and reported to a supervisor. OSHA also publishes sample daily checklists as a guide. A written checklist, filled out and kept for every truck and shift, is the simplest way to show the checks actually happen.
Part 1: Visual check (key off)
Walk around the truck before you start it. Look for:
- ☐ Fluid levels: engine oil, coolant and hydraulic fluid, as applicable to the truck
- ☐ Leaks: puddles under the truck, wet spots on hoses, fittings and the mast
- ☐ Hydraulic hoses: cracks, bulges, chafing or loose fittings
- ☐ Mast chains: wear, damage and even tension. Never put your hands inside the mast; use a stick or other tool to check chain tension
- ☐ Tires: cuts, gouges, chunking and, on pneumatic tires, correct pressure
- ☐ Forks: cracks, bends and heel wear, and that the top clip retaining pin is in place
- ☐ Load backrest extension: present, secure and undamaged
- ☐ Overhead guard and finger guards: in place and undamaged
- ☐ Data plate (nameplate): present and legible, and it matches the truck's model, serial number and any attachment
- ☐ Warning decals: in place and legible
- ☐ Operator's manual: on the truck and legible
- ☐ Operator compartment: clear of grease, debris and loose objects
- ☐ Seat belt and other safety devices: present and working
Part 2: Extra items by power type
Electric trucks (Classes 1, 2 and 3)
- ☐ Battery cables and connectors: no frayed or exposed wires
- ☐ Battery restraints: the battery is secured in the truck
- ☐ Electrolyte levels: correct, checked with a face shield, rubber apron and rubber gloves
- ☐ Hood or battery cover latch: closes and holds
Internal combustion trucks (Classes 4 and 5, gas or diesel)
- ☐ Engine oil
- ☐ Brake fluid reservoir
- ☐ Engine coolant and radiator
- ☐ Air filter
- ☐ Belts and hoses
- ☐ Hood latch
Propane (LP gas) trucks
- ☐ Tank properly mounted and fitted within the profile of the truck
- ☐ Pressure relief valve pointing up
- ☐ Tank restraint brackets secure
- ☐ Tank condition: no dents or cracks
- ☐ Hose and connectors: no damage
- ☐ No leaks. Under 1910.178(p)(4), no truck may be operated with a leak in the fuel system until it's corrected. Check with a face shield, long sleeves and gauntlet gloves
Part 3: Operational check (truck running)
With the truck running and the area clear, test each control:
- ☐ Accelerator: responds smoothly and returns when released
- ☐ Inching control, if equipped
- ☐ Service brake: stops the truck smoothly and in a straight line
- ☐ Parking brake: holds the truck
- ☐ Steering: no excessive play, binding or pulling
- ☐ Drive control: forward and reverse
- ☐ Tilt control: forward and back, holds position
- ☐ Hoist and lowering control: smooth, no jerking or drifting
- ☐ Attachment controls, such as sideshift or clamps
- ☐ Horn
- ☐ Lights
- ☐ Backup alarm, if equipped
- ☐ Hour meter and gauges: working
Report any unusual noise or vibration right away.
When a truck fails the check
If any item fails, the truck doesn't go into service:
- Don't operate it. Park it safely, with the forks lowered, controls neutralized and the brake set.
- Tag it out so the next shift doesn't pick it up.
- Report it to a supervisor and record the defect on the checklist.
- Have authorized personnel repair it. Replacement parts must be equivalent in safety to the originals (1910.178(q)(5)).
- Re-inspect before returning it to service.
The same applies mid-shift. If a truck starts overheating, leaking fuel, or throwing sparks or flames from the exhaust, stop, park it and get help. The standard treats each of those as a reason to take a truck out of service (1910.178(q)(8), (q)(9) and (p)(4)).
Making the checklist work in practice
- Match it to your fleet. A walkie pallet jack, a stand-up reach truck and a propane counterbalance truck need different items. Build a checklist per truck type rather than one generic form.
- Keep it with the truck and file completed sheets where a supervisor reviews them.
- Train it, don't just hand it out. The daily inspection is part of what operators must learn under 1910.178(l). Operators who skip items usually weren't shown what a worn chain, a cracked fork heel or a weak brake actually looks and feels like.
- Treat a missed check as a training issue. An operator seen skipping the inspection is operating unsafely, which is one of the triggers for refresher training. We cover those triggers in How Long Is Forklift Certification Good For?
How BHG Forklift Training helps
The pre-shift inspection is part of every class we teach, on your own trucks: Class 1 electric riders, Class 3 pallet jacks, Class 5 propane and diesel yard trucks and every other class your operators run. Operators practice the inspection on the equipment they'll check every morning, and the evaluation confirms they can do it without prompting. Training is available in English and Spanish.
See our forklift classes or schedule training at your facility.