UK Boosts National Standards on Forklift Accessories and Marketplace Behavior

Two separate organizations in the UK have enhanced forklift accessories regulations and created a watchdog group to assure better business standards.

The Consolidated Fork Truck Service (CFTS) in the UK has enhanced its forklift attachment national standards for Thorough Examinations of forklift trucks.

The new standards are meant to assure that permanent and temporary truck attachments are safe and legal. More than 450 companies accredited to the CFTS have promised to make additional reviews.

The new standards call for more thorough examinations that include separate inspections on the security of accessories’ mounts, tests of winch and chain brakes, chain and sling wear and damage inspections, examination of plates for wear and the creation of a new checklist to include platforms, safety cages and tail lifts.

Meanwhile, the Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA) in the UK is creating a fork truck watchdog program to deal with companies that follow bad business practices in the materials handling market.

It is the trade’s first national program to protect customers. The plan is to gather evidence of wrongdoing and to offer a process to take quick action against it.

The program is meant to provide buyers of forklift an institution to turn to when companies are selling unsafe forklift trucks.

The FLTA will provide the forklift knowledge and the West Berkshire District Council will offer an impartial interpretation of trading standards in order to protect the public, forklift truck users, and members of FLTA.

The program includes a Fork Truck Watchdog form available online that customers, individuals, and forklift users can fill out if they have a complaint and then submit the form online or by mail. Individuals who are not sure about their complaint or who need guidance in filling out the form can ask for assistance from FLTA.

If it is found that the complaint was justified and indicates that a crime may have been committed, then the complaint will be given to West Berkshire District Council for remedy. The West Berkshire District Council will have national jurisdiction under the Government’s Primary Authority Partnership, which permits a local authority to take action on behalf of business.

The program is also meant to protect the companies in the industry who are practicing good behavior in the market.

It is believed that having one authority where reports are sent and collected offers a national network for immediate identification of wrongdoing and allows for the gathering of evidence quickly that could lead to an investigation.