Forklift Inspection Checklist
Powered industrial trucks were the sixth most cited federal OSHA standard in fiscal year 2024. Most of what goes wrong is visible in a five-minute walkaround before the key turns. Tick it here, sign it, print it for the truck’s file.
Do this before the truck is placed in service — at least daily, and after each shift where trucks run round the clock. Codes are shown only where a rule names the item.
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Which rule applies on a construction site
Forklifts on a jobsite sit under 1926.602. Its paragraph (c) sets the construction-specific rules and requires every industrial truck to meet the design, construction, stability, inspection, testing, maintenance and operation requirements of ANSI B56.1-1969. Its paragraph (d) adopts the general-industry operator-training rule, 1910.178(l), word for word.
| Topic | Where it lives | Sector |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity, modifications, overhead guard, riders | 1926.602(c)(1) | Construction |
| Design, inspection, testing, maintenance | 1926.602(c)(1)(vi) → ANSI B56.1-1969 | Construction |
| Operator training and evaluation | 1926.602(d) → 1910.178(l), identical | Both |
| Pre-shift examination wording | 1910.178(q)(7) | General industry |
Read from 29 CFR 1926.602 and 1910.178 on 2026-10-18.
The clearest wording of the daily examination is in the general-industry rule: trucks are examined before being placed in service, at least daily, after each shift when used round the clock, and not placed in service if the examination shows any condition adversely affecting safety. That is the standard this checklist is built to.
How to use the checklist
- Walk around with the truck off — plate, forks, chains, tyres, leaks, fuel or battery.
- Then run the operational checks — brakes, steering, horn, lights, alarm, hydraulics.
- Any red item stops the truck. Tag it, report it, and do not put it in service until it is fixed by authorised personnel.
- Sign and date it. A dated sheet in the truck’s file is the evidence the examination happened.
Danger
Who may operate
Only an operator who has completed the training and evaluation in 1910.178(l) — formal instruction, practical training, and an evaluation of performance in the workplace. Trainees may drive only under direct supervision of someone qualified to train and evaluate, and where it endangers nobody.
The employer certifies each operator with the operator’s name, the training date, the evaluation date and who trained or evaluated. Performance is re-evaluated at least once every three years, and refresher training is required after unsafe operation, an accident or near miss, a poor evaluation, assignment to a different type of truck, or a workplace change that affects safe operation. Track the dates on the safety training matrix, and record near misses on the near-miss report form.
For the day’s lifts, break the task into steps on a JHA; add the truck to the weekly site safety checklist.
The rule text
Quoted from the current eCFR text of title 29, read on 2026-10-18.
Industrial 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. Such examination shall be made at least daily. Where industrial trucks are used on a round-the-clock basis, they shall be examined after each shift. Defects when found shall be immediately reported and corrected.
All industrial trucks in use shall meet the applicable requirements of design, construction, stability, inspection, testing, maintenance, and operation, as defined in American National Standards Institute B56.1-1969, Safety Standards for Powered Industrial Trucks.
The employer shall certify that each operator has been trained and evaluated as required by this paragraph (l). The certification shall include the name of the operator, the date of the training, the date of the evaluation, and the identity of the person(s) performing the training or evaluation.
When a powered industrial truck is left unattended, load engaging means shall be fully lowered, controls shall be neutralized, power shall be shut off, and brakes set. Wheels shall be blocked if the truck is parked on an incline.