Worn forks are a serious safety hazard. The forks must not wear thinner than 90 % of the original cross-section at the fork heel, and fork extensions may be at most 50 % longer than the original forks. Here is how to measure and document the wear.
Introduction
The forks carry the entire load, and wear at the fork heel — the area where the horizontal fork arm meets the vertical part — weakens them the most. That is why there is a clear limit to how much they may wear.
Wear limit
- 01The forks must not be worn thinner than 90 % of the original cross-section at the fork heel.
- 02Measure the thickness at the heel and compare it with the original thickness (often read off the vertical part, which is not subject to wear).
- 03Check for cracks, deformation, and whether the fork »sits in its notch« and is securely locked.
Fork extensions and attachments
- 01Fork extensions may be at most 50 % longer than the original forks and must be securely locked in place.
- 02All lifting attachments must be CE-marked and have their own load chart for the forklift + attachment combination.
- 03Lifting straps/round slings are inspected (by expert) at least every 12 months and discarded/replaced according to condition.
ISO 5057 — the standard for fork inspection
The 90% rule you hear on the course comes from a specific international standard: DS/EN ISO 5057 'Industrial trucks — inspection and repair of forks in operation'. It establishes both scrap criteria, measurement method and inspection interval, and is therefore the trade's actual basis for fork inspection. Forks must be inspected systematically at least every 12 months — and more often in heavy or multi-shift operation.
| Control point (ISO 5057) | Scrapping criterion |
|---|---|
| Wear at the fork heel | The blade thickness must not be reduced more than 10% of the original cross-section (i.e. at least 90% remains). |
| Capacity after wear | 10 % wear corresponds to approx. 20 % loss of bearing capacity — hence the sharp limit. |
| Peak height difference (pair) | The difference in fork tip heights must be at most 3 % of blade length. |
| Internal heel angle | Must not exceed 93° (i.e. at most 3° from the original right angle). |
| Cracks | Any crack — especially at heel and welds — results in rejection. |
| Position lock / fork lock | Skal virke og holde gaflen forsvarligt fast; defekt lås = ude af drift. |
| Marking / type plate on the fork | Must be readable so the fork's capacity can be determined. |
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