Maintenance Section
-116-
Inspection, Maintenance and Repair of Lift Truck Forks
The following section gives practical guidelines for
inspection, maintenance and repair of lift truck forks. It
also provides general information on the design and
application of forks and the common cause of fork failures.
Lift truck forks can be dangerously weakened by
improper repair or modification. They can also be
damaged by the cumulative effects of age, abrasion,
corrosion, overloading and misuse.
A fork failure during use can cause damage to the
equipment and the load. A fork failure can also cause
serious injury.
A good fork inspection and maintenance program along
with the proper application can be very effective in
preventing sudden failures on the job.
Repairs and modifications should be done only by the
fork manufacturer or a qualified technician who knows the
material used and the required welding and heat
treatment process.
Users should evaluate the economics of returning the
forks to the manufacturer for repairs or purchasing new
forks. This will vary depending on many factors including
the size and type of fork.
Forks should be properly sized to the weight and length
of the loads, and to the size of the machine on which they
are used. The general practice is to use a fork size such
that the combined rated capacity of the number of forks
used is equal to or greater than the “Standard(or rated)
Capacity” of the lift truck.
The individual load rating, in most cases, will be stamped
on the fork in a readily visible area. This is generally on
the top or side of the fork shank.
A fork rated at 1500 pounds at 24 inch load center
will be stamped 1500X24.
A fork rated at 2000 kg at 600 mm load center will be
stamped 2000X600.
The manufacturer identification and year and date of
manufacture is also usually shown.
Some countries have standards or regulations which
apply specifically to the inspection and repair of forks.
Users may also refer to the International Organization For
Standardization - ISO Technical Report 5057 - Inspection
and Repair of Fork Arms and ISO Standard 2330 - Fork
Arms-Technical Characteristics and Testing.
While there are no specific standards or regulations in the
United States, users should be familiar with the
requirements for inspection and maintenance of lift trucks
as provided by the 29 Code Federal Register 1910.178
Powered Industrial Truck, and ANSI/ASME Safety
Standard(s) B56.1, B56.5 or B56.6 as applicable to the
type of machine(s) in use.
Environment Protection
When servicing this lift truck, use an authorized servicing
area and an approved container to collect coolant, oil, fuel,
grease, electrolyte and any other potential environmental
pollutant before any lines, fittings or related items are
disconnected or removed. After servicing, dispose of
those materials in an authorized place and container.
When cleaning the lift truck, be sure to use an authorized
area.
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