Fork Safety & Inspection
Safety Facts & Questions
Serious accidents and equipment downtime can be prevented with proper fork sizing, inspection and operator training.
Forks are one of the most demanded items on a forklift and companies are usually not aware of their forks condition or quality.
Common Safety Questions – WHAT, WHEN, HOW?
SAFETY STANDARDS
Are your forks regularly inspected in compliance to industry standards ISO 5057 or ANSI B56.1?
APPROPRIATE FORKS
Are you using the correct forks for your application, capacity and blade length?
TRAINING
Are your operators properly trained to understand critical concepts of load center and capacity?
10% WEAR
Did you know that forks with 10% wear must be replaced and it is unsafe to use?
MONITORING & PREVENTION
Are you monitoring fork replacements to prevent cyclic operational issues or accidents?
Operation & Safety Best Practices
Easy to Avoid Issues
The points below will significantly reduce the life of your forks:
– Handling loads above the fork’s capacity.
– Using only one fork to handle loads.
– Applying side pressure/force on the forks.
– Dragging the forks on the ground.
– Making unauthorized repairs or modification to the forks.
– Using the forks as a lever or crowbar to separate loads.
– Using the forks to push or pull dragging loads.
– Adding fork extensions longer than 30% of the fork original blade length.
Easily start by training your forklift operators to avoid these “unsafe” operational practices
Inspection Frequency
Forks in service should be submitted to periodic visual and dimensional inspection. According to ISO 5057 and ANSI B56.1, the fork inspection intervals should not be more than 12 months.
JOYEAR recommends the frequency as follows:
– For operations with 1 shift (up to 8 hours per day) = at least every 12 months.
– For operations with 2 shifts (up to 16 hours per day) = at least every 6 months.
– For operations with 3 shifts (up to 24 hours per day) = at least every 3 months.
The frequency should be increased in case of repetitive damage or severe working conditions.
What to Look For
Below are the main points that you need to pay attention when inspecting your forks.
1. Surface cracks: attention to all welds and internal heel area. Fork arms should be replaced if surface cracks are detected.
2. Blade deflection or Tip height: the difference of tip heights cannot exceed 3% of the blade length.
3. Marking legibility: fork identification according to ISO 2330 should be easily legible. In case of missing or unclear marking the fork should be removed from service.
4. Angle opening: the internal angle of the fork heel cannot exceed 93°.
5. Locking & suspension devices: check if forks are securely locked to the equipment carriage. In case of extra clearance or damaged attachments, the forks should be repaired.
6. Wear: the material wear on the heel area of the forks cannot exceed 10% of the original section of the fork. Capacity of the fork is drastically reduced due to material wear. A 10% wear represents a 20% loss of capacity – see graph below:
Technical Crack Testing
Traditional crack detection tests:
– Contrast spray
– Magnetic particles
– Ultra-sound
The above tests should only be carried out after a visual and dimensional inspection of the forks is completed and a crack indication is suspected. Technical crack tests should be performed only by a trained professional. MPI (magnetic particles inspection) is the preferred method of ISO 2330 and ANSI B56.11.4.
Based on ISO 5057 and ANSI B56.1, at no circumstance surface cracks can be repaired by welding.
Repair & Replace
Defective forks should be promptly replaced or repaired to maintain the maximum safety and performance of your machinery.
Fork repairs can only be performed by the fork manufacturer or a certified company.
Always request the fork manufacturer authorization before carrying any modification or repair. Any modification performed without authorization will cancel the fork arm warranty.
Be sure to replace the pair of forks, not a single piece.
JOYEAR-Forks is committed to offer its customers:
• Top quality forks at a competitive cost;
• On time and flexible delivery;
• Full technical and warranty support.
Step-by-Step Fork Inspection Points
1. Checking for Wear
The first step is to check for wear by comparing the thickness between the heel area and the back of the fork:
A. Measure the thickness on the back (N).
B. Measure the thickness on the blade (M). Make sure the measurement is taken at least 2” (50mm) from the heel.
A 10% wear represents a 20% loss of capacity.
Replace forks if the blade thickness (M) is less than 10% of the back thickness (N). Example: N = 2” and M = 1.8”, replace!
2. Checking Surface Cracks
Next, check for surface crack, specially on welds and heel area. Forks that have surface cracks should be replaced. 
Traditional crack detection tests:
o Contrast spray
o Magnetic particles
o Ultra-sound
The above tests should only be carried out after a visual and dimensional inspection of the forks is completed and a crack indication is suspected. Technical crack tests should be performed only by a trained professional. MPI (magnetic particles inspection) is the preferred method of ISO 2330 and ANSI B56.11.4.
Based on ISO 5057 and ANSI B56.1, at no circumstance surface cracks can be repaired by welding.
3. Checking Blade Deformation / Tip Alignment
There are a variety of usages that can cause blade deformation/bend and tip alignment issues.
We will check the tip alignment and blade deformation next.
Using a ruler or a level, measure the difference of the fork tips height (d), which cannot exceed 3% of the blade length.
Normal: d < 3% of blade length Replace: d > 3% of blade length
Example: blade = 48”, replace if tip height difference is 1.44” or greater.
4. Checking Heel Angle
The heel angle can also be damaged during usage. If the angle exceeds a deformation of 3°, forks should be replaced.
The heel angle (A) should be between (88.9°- 90.9°). If A is 93° or above, replace forks.
Normal: D = 22.00”- 22.43” (A = 88.9° – 90.9°)
Repair: D = 22.43”- 22.82” (A = 91° – 92.9°)
Replace: D > 22.82” (A = 93°)
You can also use an “angle finder tool” or a protractor to measure the angle of your forks.
5a. Checking Marking Legibility
The last step on the inspection procedure consists of 2 separate parts:
5a. Checking marking legibility;
5b. Checking the suspension and locking devices.
According to ISO 2330, fork identification should be easily legible. In case of missing or unclear marking, the fork should be removed from service. The marking must contain the fork SWL (safe working load) and manufacturer.
5b. Checking Suspension & Locking devices
For shaft/pin mounted forks, you can use a caliper to measure both outside and inside diameters of the tube. Check if tube shows signs of “oval” deformation, if so, forks should be repaired or replaced.
A. Measuring the inside diameter. B. Measuring the outside diameter.
For hook mounted forks, check if:
o Hooks show signs of side bend deformation or extra opening clearance.
o Pay attention to bottom hooks, they usually show signs of bad usage before top hook fails.
o Check pin kit (top lever) and make sure forks are securely locked to the carriage.
In case of extra clearance or damaged attachments, the forks should be repaired orreplaced