EN
Reach Truck
Periodic inspection of narrow aisle reach trucks: inner mast, scissors, battery and stability systems checked by authorised engineers with signed reports.
Reach truck periodic inspection is the at-least-annual examination and testing, by authorised engineers, of electric trucks that enter narrow rack aisles and place palletised loads on high racks with a retractable scissor mast and extending forks. Lifting organs, stability systems and operator protection are assessed. Because these machines work up to 10-13 m of lift height, a single stability loss or leak turns into a severe incident.
Distinguishing Organs of a Reach Truck
Unlike a standard forklift, a reach truck places the load outside the body line with a reaching mast column; the operator either sits sideways or rotates the cab to the load. The inspection centres on this specific hardware:
- Inner mast and roller set: channel wear, roller clearance, pins and clips
- Reach mechanism: chain or screw drive and slide bearings
- Dagger/double-deep attachments and position locks
- Counterweight and chassis torsion zone
- Battery clamping, charging connector system and insulation monitoring
Periodic Inspection Items
- Mast and chain: Roller-gear clearance measurement, chain tension imbalance, buckling in the mast channel; rubbing-vibration traces at high lift.
- Fork carrier: Class compatibility, retaining pin, horizontal-vertical clearances; offset capacity reduction consistent with the plate.
- Brake and travel: Behaviour of oil-immersed disc brakes, holding test on gradient; direction-change and emergency stop characteristics.
- Safety devices: Height limit switch, load weight capacity guard, tip-over and outreach warnings, seatbelt and head protection.
- Hydraulics: Cylinder and hose integrity; drift test.
- Electrical: Battery electrolyte level, connector burning, insulation resistance, charging station ventilation and the need for shower/eyewash are checked.
Legislation and Standards
The equipment is subject to periodic inspection under Law No. 6331 and the Work Equipment Regulation. Technical references: TS EN ISO 3691-1 (general safety), TS ISO 3691-3 for rack-aisle order pickers and reachers, and the ISO 22915 series for design safety. The load capacity table (load centre, lift height and attachment based) must be legible and correct at every inspection; operator training is the administrative condition of the regulation.
Risks and Operator Recommendations
Reach truck incidents usually occur at rack height: fork positioning error, pallet deformation or a non-seated dagger leaves the load off-axis and hanging. Therefore the operator must travel with the load visible, blue-spot lights and load warning labels on racks should be standardised. Floor flatness and rack foot clearances increase sway at high lift; aisle flooring is a report input. Battery water topping and equalising charge prevent capacity loss and also manage hydrogen fire risk. Measured mast clearances should be kept as annual trends and the maintenance interval tightened accordingly.
Outcome
At the end of the control, a signed report with non-compliances and parts to replace is issued. Reach truck inspections are within our Lifting and Handling Machines group. We can merge your warehouse fleet with Stackers and Electric Pallet Trucks under one programme; contact us for details.
FAQ on Reach Truck Inspection
A reach truck is an electric lifting machine extending its fork carrier forward in narrow high-rack warehouses to access racking. At high reach (8-13 m) the load moment and chassis sway produce balancing behaviour different from a forklift: visibility falls and displacement grows as the operator rises, and the retract-chain-pressure system of the load works more critically. The control therefore audits both lifting and automation deeply.
At most yearly as a lifting machine under the Work Equipment Regulation; the TS EN ISO 3691 series (self-propelled lifting machines) is the technical basis and the manufacturer service calendar demands shift-start checks. High-cycle storage (cold store, automated warehouse), overload warning or a tip-over near miss shorten the interval. The charging-battery centre (ventilation-goggles-shower) and rail-aisle floor conditions are followed within the scope.
Reach gear-slide-bearing and chain-tension synchronisation, fork carrier slip-guide play; lift chain-brake (drop protection), cylinder leak-hose burst valve; battery-connection-charging system, leakage-earth insulation control; travel-tilt-warning automation (load sensor speed limit, side-fork tilt alarm, blue light-pedestrian alarm), cabin-FOGS-load cage, seat-belt, horn-reverse-gear audible warning; tyre-rim-cam, hydraulic oil level-cooling and capacity plate-load chart (radius based) verification; access-stop function trial under load.
A lift chain-brake that will not hold the load, missing or dead drop protection, reach gear-sync drift (fork skewed at height), disabled speed-load automation, broken guard cage, unreadable capacity plate or cracked tyre-cam: tag out with written warning. Repair returns via engineer verification and a clear stop rule. The daily shift card (chain-view-brake-warning-sound) is kept on file as the pre-condition of the yearly examination.