Process plantsMinesWarehouses and stores

Forklift Pre-Use Inspection Checklist (Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015)

A shift-start check for counterbalance and reach forklifts on plants, mine stores and warehouses. Visual checks are done with the engine off, then the operator tests every function before lifting a load. A first section confirms the truck is inside its statutory test and examination dates, which the Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015 require for every lifting machine.

At the start of every shift, before the forklift is used · 29 checks · free printable PDF

Legal basis checked 26 October 2026

A reach truck carrying a pallet down a warehouse racking aisle

What the checklist covers

Operator and truck

Operator is trained and certificated for this type of forklift
Safe working load clearly marked, and the load chart visible from the seat where the capacity varies
Manufacturer's identification plate fitted and legible
Defects from the previous inspection repaired and signed off

Statutory dates (from the lifting machine register)

Test and examination by a lifting machinery inspector within the last 12 months
Chains, hooks, brakes and safety devices examined by a competent person within the last 6 months
Any modification or repair since the last test recorded in the register

Visual checks (engine off)

Forks free of cracks, bends and heel wear; fork locking pins in place
Mast chains evenly tensioned, undamaged and lubricated
Mast, carriage and rollers undamaged
Load backrest and overhead guard secure and undamaged
Tyres free of chunking, cuts and embedded objects; pressures correct on pneumatic tyres
Wheel nuts present and secure
Hydraulic hoses, fittings and cylinders free of leaks and damage
Engine oil, hydraulic oil, coolant and brake fluid levels
Electric: battery charged, cables and connector undamaged, electrolyte level and vent caps checked
LPG: cylinder secured and correctly positioned; valve and hose free of leaks
Fire extinguisher present and within its service date
Seat secure and seatbelt working

Operational checks (engine running)

Gauges normal and no warning lights
Horn, lights, flashing beacon and reverse alarm
Service brake and parking brake
Steering responds without excessive play
Inching pedal
Lift and lower are smooth with no drift
Tilt and side-shift work smoothly
No unusual noise, vibration or smell

Outcome

Forklift safe to operate
Any defect reported, and the forklift tagged out of service until repaired

How to use this checklist

1Use one sheet per forklift per shift, kept with the truck or at the charging bay.
2Check the statutory dates against the lifting machine register or the sticker on the truck before the first shift of the week.
3Do the visual checks with the forks lowered, the engine off and the key out.
4Then start the truck and test the brakes, steering, hoist, tilt, horn, lights and reverse alarm before lifting a load.
5Mark every item OK, Defect or N/A, and sign the outcome section.
6If any safety item fails, tag the forklift out of use, remove the key and report it. It stays out of use until the defect is repaired and signed off.

A general guide. Add your manufacturer's checks and your site's own standards, and follow your site's procedures for reporting and isolating defective equipment. The Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015 define a lift truck as a mobile lifting machine. Regulation 18 requires the safe working load and the manufacturer's plate to be marked on the machine (18(1)), a thorough examination and performance test by a lifting machinery inspector before first use and at least every 12 months (18(5)), an examination of ropes, chains, hooks, brakes and safety devices by a competent person at least every 6 months (18(6)), a register of those tests, examinations, modifications and repairs kept on the premises (18(7)), and an operator trained for that type of machine, with a certificate where the national code of practice lists it (18(11)). The regulations do not prescribe a daily check; it is how the employer keeps the plant safe under section 8(2)(a) of the OHS Act and follows the manufacturer's instructions.

Legal basis checked on 26 October 2026 against: Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015 (GN R540 of 2015), regulations 1 and 18; Occupational Health and Safety Act, 85 of 1993, section 8(2)(a).

Convert this checklist into a digital form

Run it on an Android phone with no signal, attach photos as evidence, and every failed item raises an issue with an owner and a due date.

Start the trial from here and this checklist is waiting in your workspace as a ready-made form.

Start free trial Book a demo

Paper finds the defect. Then what?

On paper, a ticked "Defect" box often stays a ticked box. In Inspecable the same checklist keeps going after it is signed:

Run the checklist on an Android phone with no signal; it syncs when the crew is back in range.
A failed item raises an issue with an owner and a due date.
A corrective action cannot close without evidence and a signature.
Every completed inspection produces a signed PDF with its photos.

How the digital pre-start works

Questions

How often should a forklift be inspected?

The operator checks it at the start of every shift. Under regulation 18 of the Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015 a lifting machinery inspector examines and tests it at least every 12 months, and a competent person examines the chains, hooks, brakes and safety devices at least every 6 months. The daily check does not replace either.

Who is allowed to do the pre-use check?

The operator who will drive the forklift on that shift, who must be trained for that type of truck under regulation 18(11) and hold a certificate from an approved training provider where the code of practice lists the machine. Defects go to the supervisor or the workshop, who decide whether the truck can be used.

Does the checklist cover gas and electric forklifts?

Yes. The visual and function checks apply to both. Add your own items for LPG cylinders and connections, or for battery charging and electrolyte, from the manufacturer's manual and your site standard.

What happens to a forklift that fails the check?

It is tagged out of use, the key is removed and the defect is reported. It returns to service only after the repair is done and signed off, which the next sheet confirms in the documents section.

Get the free printable PDF