Forklift Maintenance

PITs shall be examined daily or after each shift if used around the clock. Vehicles found to be defective, unsafe, or in need of repair must be taken out of service. This includes overheated vehicles and vehicles with fuel system leaks. Vehicles may return to operation only when deemed safe to do so.

PIT maintenance personnel must observe the following safety guidelines:

• Do not fill fuel tanks while the engine is running.
• Avoid spilling any fuel at all.
• Wash away or observe evaporation of any spillage of oil or fuel.
• Replace fuel tank cap before restarting engine.
• Do not use open flames for checking gasoline level in fuel tanks or electrolyte level in storage batteries.

Other guidelines for PIT repair include the following:

• Disconnect the battery in a PIT before making repairs to the electrical system.
• When fire hazards are present, repair the fuel and ignition systems of PITs only in locations designated as safe for such repairs.
• Use only approved replacement parts.
• Do not move or remove any parts that were provided by the manufacturer.
• Do not add any parts that were not provided by the manufacturer.
• Do not add counterweighting to PITs unless approved by the manufacturer.
• Fill water mufflers daily or as necessary to prevent depletion of the supply of water below 75 percent of filled capacity.
• Keep PITs clean, meaning free of things such as lint, excess oil, grease, and dirt.

To learn more about Forklift Safety visit our Forklift Safety Online Training web page.