Maintaining equipment to avoid a forklift truck accident
As with any large and complex machine, a forklift needs good maintenance to ensure that all the parts that are necessary to its safe operation are in working condition. Failure to do so may result in a serious personal injury from a forklift truck accident, let alone damage to the machine.
Elements that are likely to need attention as part of this maintenance include:
- Brakes, which should be checked to ensure that they have not become faulty;
- Hydraulic systems, whose hoses may become worn or whose fluid levels may fall to too low a level for safe operation;
- Tyres, both in terms of pressure and tread depth;
- Operator controls, which should be checked both in terms of them working correctly and being correctly labelled; and
- Lights and warning devices, whose correct operation should be ensured.
It is good practice to appoint a single manager with responsibility for the maintenance of the forklift, and to instigate a system that ensures maintenance inspections are undertaken regularly. This should ensure that, in the event of a work accident compensation claim being taken out, the company can show that they had done everything within their power to prevent the accident, whereas failure to respond appropriately to the risk may show liability.
It is also advisable to ensure that any users of the lifting equipment should be appropriately trained to report any potential problems that are spotted between inspections.
Appointing a personal injury solicitor after a forklift truck accident
If you have been injured in a work accident, whether through substandard maintenance or some other reason that was not your fault, you may be eligible to make a compensation claim.
YouClaim are one of the best sources of help in this. We are able to provide you with a personal injury solicitor from a wide panel of experts, which means you can be sure that you will have the best possible lawyer for your needs. Our success rate is excellent, and the Solicitors Regulation Authority governs our work, so you can rely on professional treatment.
And any industrial injury case can be handled on an entirely free basis, win or lose. We offer a no win, no fee agreement, but we extend that by ensuring that you are protected from costs outside of our fee, that our fee is charged to the opposition in a won case, and by promising you that we will take no cut of any damages awarded to you.
You can reach us through this website, with our claim form and echat service, or simply call us direct on our free UK hotline: 0800 10 757 95. We're here to help you get your forklift truck accident compensation claim under way as quickly as possible.
