About Thorough   Examination   Accredited   Companies   Frequently Asked   Questions		Is your fork lift truck up to the mark? If you own or operate a fork lift truck... it must have a valid Thorough Examination If you operate a fork lift truck, you have a legal obligation to ensure that it holds a valid Report of Thorough Examination. This applies whether you own, lease or hire the truck. Failing to comply could be disastrous: prosecution, invalidation of your insurance or, worst of all, a serious accident due to faulty equipment. There are many companies who will offer to carry out Thorough Examinations - so who should you choose? Until recently, that would have been a difficult question to answer, but now the materials handling industry has an accredited national scheme that offers total peace of mind. Why use the fork lift truck industry accredited scheme? To understand the significance of a scheme that's truly nationwide, it's worth comparing the testing of fork lift trucks with the MOT for cars. Imagine what it would be like if there were no cohesive national system for assessing the safe condition of cars. Imagine if garages were allowed to decide for themselves how to carry out MOT tests. Imagine if an MOT certificate issued by one garage was based on criteria and practices which differed widely from those used by another. Imagine if there was no one to oversee the process nationally and ensure consistent high standards. This is very much like the situation which has applied to Thorough Examination - in many ways the fork lift truck's equivalent to an MOT - until now. The new scheme - described as the biggest safety advance in many years - has been developed co-operatively by the two leading bodies in the fork lift truck industry: British Industrial Truck Association (BITA) and the Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA) under the banner of Consolidated Fork Truck Services (CFTS). The national Thorough Examination scheme has been developed by the FLTA and BITA, working together as Consolidated Fork Truck Services (CFTS). www.bita.org.uk www.fork-truck.org.uk						Accredited Companies Don't take chances - insist on the CFTS Thorough Examination mark of quality Click here for a list of accredited companies Quality Assurance Procedural Code A copy of the CFTS Procedural Code (60 pages) is available to view or download here. This version does not include the BITA Guidance Note GN28 which may be purchased separately through the BITA website www.bita.org.uk Click here for a copy of the manual Companies wishing to be considered for accreditation may obtain a complete copy, with GN28, by contacting CFTS at mail@thoroughexamination.org or direct from BITA or the FLTA.