The Importance Of Regular Forklift Servicing And Maintenance

Forklift maintenance is a regular schedule of services, preventative repairs and cleaning as set out in the forklift’s operational manual. Whether it be every 6 or 12 months, keeping your servicing up to date can save you money and time and minimise the risk of accidents and injury to the forklift operator and others in the workplace.

THE BENEFITS OF REGULAR FORKLIFT SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE

• Reduces productivity losses due to forklift down time
• Maintains the quality and wear and tear of the forklift, extending its service life
• Ensures that everything is running correctly. A technician will ensure that the machine is greased in all the right places and that all brakes, lift chains and hydraulic hoses are adjusted and in perfect working condition.
• Maintains the warranty that comes with the forklift when purchased.
• Minimises the risk of breakdowns, accidents and injuries. Health and Safety Environment Australia (HSE) statistics show that between 2001 and 2006, there were 21,190 reported injuries as a result of forklift accidents. Of these accidents, 94 were fatal and 5,758 were major, resulting in an Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) to standardise forklift safety use.
  
  

WHO CAN SERVICE AND MAINTAIN FORKLIFTS?

It is recommended that a suitably qualified and trained person maintain and service your forklift. Ideally, they should have experience in inspecting, maintaining and repairing forklifts and their attachments.

IS A LIGHT AND HEAVY VEHICLE MECHANIC QUALIFIED TO SERVICE AND MAINTAIN FORKLIFTS?

Generally speaking, light and heavy vehicle mechanics are not qualified to maintain forklifts. Only licensed gasfitters may repair and/or replace parts on LPG systems in forklifts. Only qualified tyre fitters should remove and fit pneumatic tyres due to the risk of injury from tyre failure if incorrectly performed.

HOW CAN SQMH HELP WITH FORKLIFT SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE?

With more than 60 years of experience in the forklift industry on all makes and models, you can be confident that SQMH is an expert in all forklift repairs. With fully equipped service vans and a dedicated repairs team, SQMH guarantees excellent response times and efficient service. We have the best technicians in the industry. All our SQMH technicians are fully qualified and undergo training through Yale®. This is in addition to regular in-house training to keep our technicians’ skills up to date and ensure they have the knowledge required for the changes in mechanics and technology. For a quick quote or to book a forklift service, click here.

WHEN IS IT TIME TO BUY A NEW FORKLIFT?

When a forklift breaks down regularly, it might be time to consider replacing your forklift – unless the cost-benefit on refurbishing the machine still makes sense. Repeatedly making maintenance calls or waiting on replacement parts means you have a truck out of rotation, and this negatively impacts most operations. An inoperative forklift is a useless forklift. If your forklift is breaking down often and negatively impacting your productivity, it might be time to consider buying a new one. The secret is to upgrade your machine before it significantly disrupts your operations.

BUYING THE BEST FORKLIFT: EXPLORE THE MASSIVE RANGE AT SQMH

South Queensland Material Handling (SQMH) is proud to be one of Queensland’s biggest forklift and telehandler dealers and repairers. Trading since 2008, SQMH offers top quality materials handling equipment from Yale Forklifts and Merlo Telehandlers, as well as a wide range of rough terrain forklifts. We are known for our after-sales support, servicing and parts. SQMH will always find a materials handling solution for you.