The truck must be inspected daily by the operator before use, and a statutory main inspection must be carried out at least every 12 months by an expert. Both must be documented. Here is what is checked, and who may do it.
Introduction
Inspection keeps the forklift safe. There are two levels: the daily inspection, which the operator carries out, and the annual main inspection, which is carried out by an expert.
Daily inspection
Every day before use, the operator/user must check that the equipment's safety functions are in order and that there are no visible defects. If safety-related faults are found, they must be remedied immediately — the forklift must not be used.
Legally required main inspection
A main inspection must be carried out at least every 12 months by the supplier or another competent person who meets the requirements of the Danish Working Environment Authority. It is documented with a sticker and a completed inspection form (on paper or digitally).
The legal basis for inspection
The requirement for inspection is not only in BFA's guidance — it follows from the Executive Order on the use of technical equipment (BEK no. 428 of 05/04/2022). Self-propelled technical equipment for transporting goods — such as forklifts — must have a main inspection by a competent person at least every 12 months, and it must at least cover mechanical parts and wear parts, safety equipment, controls, energy supply and hydraulic, pneumatic and electrical components (§§ 40-41). A forklift that has been laid up must have a main inspection before it is used again. The requirements for the machine itself — CE marking and instructions in Danish — are in the Danish Safety Technology Authority's Executive Order on machinery (BEK no. 1094 of 01/06/2021), and from 20 January 2027 in the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230. The instructions are the very basis for what the inspection must cover.
Who is an »expert«?
The main inspection must be carried out by the supplier or another qualified person who has the necessary knowledge and training and works according to the manufacturer's instructions. So it is not a task the driver can undertake themselves — but the driver is responsible for daily inspections and for reporting faults. 'Qualified person' in practice means a person or company with documented competence in that type of truck.
12-month inspection vs. service intervals
Two things are often confused. The statutory periodic inspection (at least every 12 months) is about SAFETY — that load-bearing parts, brakes, steering and safety equipment are in order. The manufacturer's service intervals are about OPERATION and are typically specified in operating hours or months (oil, filters, wear parts). The two are not the same: service may be more frequent than the periodic inspection, and completed service does not replace the statutory periodic inspection.
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