No. Only accredited companies are entitled to use the CFTS certification. They gain the right to do so by establishing their competence and committing themselves to following all of the approved processes. They must be open to independent assessment and to a complaints procedure. The strict standards ensured by the CFTS scheme only apply to Thorough Examinations conducted by these accredited companies.

No. Insurance companies have no legal right to insist that their own inspectors carry out your Thorough Examinations. You are perfectly at liberty to make your own arrangement.

Unlike a car, a fork lift truck cannot easily be taken to a testing centre. The inspector must come to the fork lift truck. The distance and time involved in travelling, which will vary between inspections, must be reflected in the price.

The time taken for the inspection will depend upon the type of equipment being examined. Materials handling equipment is much more diverse in its construction and use than cars, so it’s impossible to standardise on the time taken for an examination.

Again, this affects the cost to the examining company and hence the cost to the customer.

At least every 12 months. Depending on the application, the intensity of use and the nature of any attachments, the regulations may require this interval to be reduced to 6 or even 4 months. The person carrying out the Thorough Examination – the ‘Competent Person’ – will be able to determine the appropriate interval.

The same person should also be consulted for advice on whether planned changes to the truck’s operation or configuration will alter this interval.