A forklift is one of the most dangerous machines on a UK site, and the pre-use check is the cheapest safeguard you have against a crushing injury or an overturn. The trouble is that the check book in the cab is the least trusted document in the building. Everyone knows some of those ticks went in without a walk-around. So the real question about a forklift inspection tool is not which app has the longest checklist. It is which one gets the operator to actually do the check, honestly, before the shift starts.
Guide · Manufacturing
Forklift inspection checklist for UK sites.
A practical guide to the daily pre-use forklift check and the annual thorough examination, from paper pads and generic audit apps to a WhatsApp workflow your operators already know how to use.
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The point
A checklist does not make a forklift safe.
A competent operator doing the check properly does. Software makes the pre-use check easier to complete before the shift, harder to skip an item, and faster to hand to the supervisor. A good tool means nobody signs off a truck they never actually walked around.
Two duties, not one
Pre-use check and thorough examination.
Daily, by the operator
PUWER pre-use check
Under PUWER 1998 the truck is checked before each shift: tyres, forks, mast, hydraulics, brakes, horn, lights and controls. Faults logged at the point they are found.
Every 12 monthsLOLER thorough examination
Lifting parts carry a thorough examination under LOLER 1998, at least every 12 months, by a competent person. The report is separate from the daily check.
The operatorCompetence and training
Operators need proper training, often to an ITSSAR or RTITB accredited standard, plus site-specific familiarisation. The check is only as good as the person doing it.
The friction
The paper pad in the cab never gets read.
A pre-use check book that lives in the truck gets ticked without looking, or filled in for the week on a Monday. The office never sees a fault until the truck is off the road. The check completed honestly, before the shift, beats the one back-filled from memory every time.
Run the pre-use check on WhatsApp
No app install. No training.
Operators use the phone they already have. Text, voice note or a photo of the damaged fork. The record generates itself and the supervisor sees a red flag the moment a fault is logged.
The short version
- A forklift carries two separate duties: a daily pre-use check by the operator under PUWER 1998, and a thorough examination at least every 12 months by a competent person under LOLER 1998.
- The pre-use check covers tyres, forks, mast and chains, hydraulics, brakes, steering, horn, lights, seatbelt and controls.
- Operators need accredited training, commonly ITSSAR or RTITB, plus site familiarisation. The check is only as reliable as the operator doing it.
- A back-filled paper pad is worthless as evidence. The value is a timestamped record made at the point of observation.
- Per-report pricing beats per-seat for a firm with many operators and few office staff, because adding operators is free.
- The record does not make the truck safe. The check, done properly, does. The record is what the HSE inspector asks to see afterwards.
The point
What a forklift inspection tool is actually for
A fork lift truck is provided work equipment, so it sits under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). PUWER requires that work equipment is maintained in a safe condition and inspected to make sure it stays that way. In practice that means a pre-use check by the operator at the start of each shift or working period.
Software does not make a forklift safe. A competent operator doing the check properly does. What software does is make the check easier to complete before the shift, harder to skip an item, and faster to get in front of a supervisor. That last point matters more than any feature list. A fault the office learns about at eight in the morning gets the truck fixed. A fault buried in a paper pad gets someone hurt.
The daily duty
The PUWER pre-use check
The pre-use check is a walk-around plus an operational check, done cold before the truck is used. A typical list covers: tyres and wheels for damage and pressure; forks, heel wear and the load backrest; the mast, chains and hydraulic rams for leaks or damage; brakes, including the parking brake; steering; the horn; lights and beacons; the seatbelt or operator restraint; the data plate and rated capacity; and any warning lights or unusual noises on start-up.
Quickler runs this as a WhatsApp conversation. Each item arrives as a question, the operator replies, and a photo of a split tyre or a bent fork attaches at the point it is found. A fault flags to the supervisor instantly rather than sitting in a book in the cab. See the item detail in this guide and adapt it to your own truck types and site rules.
The annual duty
LOLER thorough examination
Separate from the daily check, the lifting parts of a forklift, the forks, mast, chains and any attachment used for lifting, fall under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER). LOLER requires a thorough examination by a competent person, at least every 12 months for equipment lifting loads, or every 6 months where it lifts people or in line with an examination scheme.
This is a formal report produced by the competent person, usually an external engineer, and it is not something the operator does. Quickler does not replace the thorough examination or the competent person who signs it. What it can do is store the certificate against the truck and remind you when the next one is due, so a lapsed examination does not slip through. Treat the examination interval as a legal duty and confirm the current requirements for your equipment.
The operator
Training and competence come first
The best checklist in the world does nothing if the operator is not competent. Employers must provide adequate training. In practice most sites train to an accredited standard through bodies such as ITSSAR, RTITB or AITT, followed by specific job training and familiarisation with the actual site and trucks. Refresher training keeps skills current.
A digital pre-use check supports competence, it does not substitute for it. What it adds is accountability: a timestamp, a named operator, and a record that the check was done before the truck moved. If an operator consistently logs a two-second all-clear, that shows up too, and it is a supervision conversation worth having.
Pricing
Per report, not per seat
Most inspection apps charge per seat. For a warehouse or factory with a large pool of operators, that is the wrong shape. You end up paying for every operator who might touch a truck, and for office staff who never do.
Quickler charges per report, with unlimited users on every bundle. Bundles run from Quickler 50 at 50 pounds a month for 50 reports, up to Quickler 500 at 500 pounds a month for 500 reports. Add every operator, shift lead, supervisor and manager you like; you pay for the checks filed, not the headcount who could file them. Pricing is approximate and changes, so confirm the current pricing page before you commit.
Questions, answered
How often should a forklift be inspected in the UK?
There are two duties. A pre-use check should be done by the operator before each shift or working period under PUWER 1998. Separately, a thorough examination by a competent person is required at least every 12 months under LOLER 1998, or every 6 months where the truck lifts people, or in line with a written examination scheme. Confirm the interval that applies to your specific equipment.
What is on a forklift pre-use check?
A typical pre-use check covers tyres and wheels, forks and load backrest, mast, chains and hydraulics, brakes and parking brake, steering, horn, lights and beacons, seatbelt or restraint, the data plate and rated capacity, and any warning lights or unusual noises on start-up. Adapt the list to your truck types and site.
Is a daily forklift check a legal requirement?
PUWER 1998 requires work equipment to be maintained and, where appropriate, inspected so that it remains safe to use. A daily pre-use check is the established way employers meet that duty for forklifts, and HSE guidance supports it. This is general information, not legal advice; check the current HSE guidance for your situation.
Can I run forklift checks over WhatsApp?
Yes. Quickler's pre-use check runs over the WhatsApp Business API. The operator receives each item as a message in their existing WhatsApp chat, replies with text, a voice note or a photo, and the record generates automatically. A fault flags to the supervisor immediately. No separate app or login is required, and Quickler manages the WhatsApp Business API account on the firm's behalf.