On a counterbalance forklift, the only interval fixed by law is the quarterly check of ropes and chains.
In Italy, the counterbalance forklift truck isn't among the equipment listed in Allegato VII (Annex VII of Legislative Decree 81/2008): unlike mobile elevating work platforms and cranes, it has no periodic inspection carried out by INAIL or the local health authority (ASL). The only numeric interval the law itself sets is the quarterly check of ropes and chains under Allegato VI, and it applies "in the absence of specific instructions from the manufacturer". Everything else comes from the operator's manual and common practice. Here is who does what, how often, what changes for telehandlers, and what records need keeping.
Maintenance, periodic checks and statutory inspections are not the same thing
Anyone searching for "how often should a forklift be serviced" expects a single number, the way you'd expect one for a van's MOT. That number doesn't exist, because there are three different things to do, and they come from three different sources: maintenance, which follows the manufacturer's manual; periodic checks, which the employer schedules according to the manufacturer's guidance or good-practice standards; and statutory periodic inspections, which apply only to certain equipment, listed by name.
D.Lgs 81/2008 — Italy's consolidated workplace health and safety code — says so in two paragraphs of the same article. Article 71(4) puts maintenance in the employer's hands, according to the instructions for use and the manual that comes with the machine. Article 71(8) calls for periodic checks "at frequencies set according to the manufacturers' guidance, or good-practice standards": in other words, the law doesn't fix the number — the manual does.
The only numeric interval the law sets by itself for a counterbalance forklift sits in Allegato VI, point 3.1.2: ropes and chains are checked every three months, and even that is qualified — "in the absence of specific instructions from the manufacturer". That the rest comes from the manual and from practice doesn't make it optional: whatever the manual requires falls straight back under article 71(4).
How often, who does it, and where it comes from
The activities that sit side by side on the same forklift. The first four rows apply to any forklift; the last one applies only to self-propelled telehandlers.
| Activity | How often | Who does it | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-use check | every shift, in practice | the trained operator | manufacturer's manual |
| Check of ropes and chains | every 3 months, unless the manual says otherwise | a competent person appointed by the employer | Allegato VI, point 3.1.2 |
| Scheduled maintenance | at the hours or months set by the manual (for example 250, 500 or 1,000 hours) | maintenance technician or authorised workshop | article 71(4) |
| General periodic check | annual, in practice | qualified maintenance technician | article 71(8), at the manufacturer's frequency |
| Statutory periodic inspection | every 12 months, only for self-propelled telehandlers | INAIL for the first inspection, then ASL/ARPA or an authorised body | Allegato VII |
The law fixes only two numbers: the three months for ropes and chains (Allegato VI, point 3.1.2) and the twelve months of Allegato VII for self-propelled telehandlers. Everything else comes from the operator's manual. Watch the quarterly figure: it applies "in the absence of specific instructions from the manufacturer", so if the manual sets its own interval for the chains, that's the one that counts — but it needs to be written into the plan, not left unspoken.
No, a forklift doesn't get "tested" at the ASL every year
It's the most common misunderstanding, and it comes from the wrong comparison: mobile elevating work platforms, cranes and load-lifting equipment rated above 200 kg are listed in Allegato VII and have a periodic inspection carried out by INAIL, ASL/ARPA or an authorised body. The counterbalance forklift isn't on that list: it has no statutory periodic inspection, and there's no annual sticker to show an inspector. What it does have is the quarterly check of ropes and chains and the checks the manual requires, with the results put in writing — which is what inspectors actually ask to see.
The forklifts that do need an inspection: self-propelled telehandlers
Allegato VII lists equipment by name, and among forklifts it names just one: the self-propelled telehandler, the machine everyone on a building site just calls the "telescopic". For that one the periodic inspection does apply, every twelve months, and it belongs to the same family of requirements as mobile elevating work platforms and cranes. The counterbalance forklift, whether electric or diesel, stays outside it.
How it works: INAIL carries out the first inspection, and the ASL or ARPA, or a private body authorised by the Ministry of Labour, carries out the following ones — the employer's choice, and at the employer's expense; the DM 11 aprile 2011 sets the procedure and the requirements for inspectors. The report that's issued is the document that anchors the date: the following year is counted from there.
Watch out for attachments: hooks, jibs and work platforms change what the machine does, and with it, the rules that apply. Before fitting one that isn't covered by the manual, the question needs to go to the manufacturer — not get settled by analogy with the forklift in the next unit.
The quarterly check of ropes and chains, the only interval written into the law
On a counterbalance forklift, the mast's lift chains are what point 3.1.2 of Allegato VI has in mind: they stretch with use, stiffen up if they're not lubricated, and when they fail, they fail under load. The quarterly check is there to catch that wear before it's visible to the naked eye, which is why it runs on its own interval, separate from the service.
What to look at is set by the manufacturer: chain elongation measured over a defined number of links, lubrication, pin wear, the condition of the pulleys and retainers, the state of any ropes fitted. You won't find a "universal" elongation limit here, and that's deliberate: the figure beyond which a chain gets replaced is the one in your forklift's manual.
Whoever carries it out doesn't have to be an outside workshop: the regulation just says a competent person, and in many companies that's a trained in-house maintenance technician. What doesn't change is what comes after: the result has to be put in writing, with the date, the name of whoever looked, and what they found. On the day of an inspection, a check that was done but never logged counts for as much as a check that was never done.
The start-of-shift check, item by item
It's not a requirement with a legal number attached to it: it's what the manual asks for on almost every forklift, and it's the cheapest way of not getting a surprise at the quarterly check.
- Forks and mast: no cracks or deformation, fork stops in place
- Lift chains evenly tensioned, lubricated, with no stiff or twisted links
- No hydraulic oil leaking under the forklift or along hoses and fittings
- Brakes, parking brake and steering respond; warning lights, lights and horn work
- Seatbelt, overhead guard and mirrors intact and in place
- Battery or LPG cylinder secured and undamaged, levels and charging per the manual
- Anything wrong gets written down straight away, and the forklift stays parked until it's fixed
A forklift operator licence isn't for life, and it isn't enough on its own
A self-propelled forklift with the operator riding on board is among the equipment for which article 73(5) of D.Lgs 81/2008 requires a specific operator licence, with a theory part and a practical part, set out by the Accordo Stato-Regioni (the State-Regions Agreement) on equipment that requires a specific licence. It's the deadline that gets missed most often, because it's attached to the person, not to the machine.
The certificate isn't valid forever: a 4-hour refresher, including a practical part, is due within five years of it being issued, and then every five years after that. The training rules have been revised in recent years, so before booking a course it's worth checking the duration and content against the current text of the Accordo.
The licence isn't enough on its own, either way: it's still up to the employer to appoint, in writing, who is allowed to use the forklift, and to make sure they know that particular forklift — a telehandler and an electric counterbalance forklift drive differently, even with the same certificate in your pocket.
Checks only count if they're in writing: three years, and the document on board
Article 71(9) requires the results of checks to be put in writing, and at least the last three years of them to be kept and made available to inspectors. And there's a paragraph that almost everyone misses: article 71(10) requires equipment used away from the production unit's premises to be accompanied by a document proving the last check was carried out with a positive outcome. If your forklift moves between building sites, that piece of paper needs to travel with it.
This guide is informational material: it does not replace the standards cited, the manufacturer's manual or the judgement of a qualified technician. ToriSet organises deadlines and documents; it does not certify compliance.
Three different intervals on the same forklift, and none of them remembers itself.
The quarterly check runs on months, the service runs on hours, and the telehandler's inspection has a fixed date. Here's what changes between keeping them on a spreadsheet and keeping them in a logbook.
The quarterly chain check gets remembered whenever the service happens to come round
A three-month deadline on the forklift's record, that resets from the last check logged
A spreadsheet with one row per forklift, on the computer of whoever keeps the dates
A shared logbook: whoever opens the record sees what's due and who did the last check
You read the hours off the hour-meter and work out the service by eye
Hours and months together: 500 hours or 12 months, whichever comes first
Manual, reports and periodic inspection in three different binders
Attached to the job, on the forklift's record, with a QR code that opens it from the machine
What changes from one country to the next.
When it comes to forklifts, Europe doesn't line up at all: in Italy the counterbalance forklift has no statutory periodic inspection, in France it has a six-monthly one, in Germany an annual one. Anyone with equipment or sites in more than one country can't just carry the Italian calendar across the border. Below is the picture country by country; the source that counts is still the standard cited, together with the manufacturer's manual.
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Italy
References
D.Lgs 81/2008, art. 71 c. 4
Puts maintenance of equipment in the employer's hands, according to the instructions for use and the manual that comes with it.
D.Lgs 81/2008, art. 71 c. 8
Calls for periodic checks at the frequency set by manufacturers or by good-practice standards, plus extraordinary checks after repairs, modifications, accidents or long periods out of service.
D.Lgs 81/2008, Allegato VI, punto 3.1.2
Ropes and chains are checked every three months "in the absence of specific instructions from the manufacturer": it's the only numeric interval the law fixes for a counterbalance forklift.
D.Lgs 81/2008, Allegato VII
Lists the equipment subject to a periodic inspection by an authorised body. Among forklifts, only self-propelled telehandlers appear, at a twelve-month interval; the counterbalance forklift isn't on it.
DM 11 aprile 2011
Sets out the procedure for the Allegato VII periodic inspections: who carries them out, how they're requested, and under what requirements.
D.Lgs 81/2008, art. 73 c. 5
Requires a specific licence for operators of the equipment identified by the Accordo Stato-Regioni, self-propelled forklifts included.
Intervals
Pre-use check
every shift, per the manufacturer's manual
the trained operator
Check of ropes and chains
every 3 months, in the absence of specific instructions from the manufacturer
a competent person appointed by the employer
Scheduled maintenance
at the hours or months set by the manual
maintenance technician or authorised workshop
Periodic inspection (self-propelled telehandlers only)
every 12 months
INAIL for the first inspection, then ASL/ARPA or an authorised body
Operator licence refresher
every 5 years from the date of the certificate
training provider
NoteThe point that causes most confusion: the counterbalance forklift isn't in Allegato VII, so it has no periodic inspection by INAIL or the ASL. The "annual check" that workshops offer is good practice, and often something the manual asks for, not a legal obligation with that specific number.
France
References
Code du travail, art. R4323-23
Subjects the equipment identified by arrêté to a general periodic inspection, so that any deterioration capable of creating a hazard is caught in time.
Arrêté du 1er mars 2004
Sets the nature and frequency of inspections for lifting appliances and accessories: for self-propelled lift trucks with the operator riding on board, the general periodic inspection is six-monthly.
Arrêté du 2 mars 2004
Requires a carnet de maintenance (maintenance logbook) for lifting appliances: work gets logged there, machine by machine.
Recommandation CNAM R489
The CACES reference for self-propelled lift trucks with the operator riding on board: it sets out the skills-certification path and how long it lasts.
Intervals
Vérification générale périodique (VGP)
every 6 months
a qualified person, in-house or from an inspection body
Commissioning and recommissioning inspection
on first commissioning, and after dismantling, repairs or major modifications
a qualified person
Pre-use check
every shift, per the manual
the authorised driver
NoteFrance is the reverse of Italy: a forklift with the operator riding on board has an explicit general periodic inspection, and it's six-monthly. CACES itself isn't the legal requirement — the requirement is the driving authorisation issued by the employer, for which CACES is just the most common route.
Germany
References
DGUV Vorschrift 68
The regulation on industrial trucks (Flurförderzeuge): under § 37 it requires them to be inspected at least once a year by a competent person (Sachkundiger).
BetrSichV
The German Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health: recurring inspections and their intervals follow from the employer's risk assessment, which can call for tighter intervals.
FEM 4.004
The European guideline used in Germany as the reference for what the annual inspection of industrial trucks covers.
Intervals
Prüfung (periodic inspection)
at least once a year
a competent person (Sachkundiger / befähigte Person)
Pre-use check
every shift
the appointed driver
Maintenance intervals
per the manufacturer's manual and the risk assessment
workshop or qualified maintenance technician
NoteThe German benchmark interval is annual, and it's an inspection of the whole machine, not just the chains. The risk assessment can shorten it — multi-shift use, harsh environments, hire equipment — never lengthen it.
Austria
References
AM-VO § 8
The Austrian ordinance on work equipment (Arbeitsmittelverordnung) governs recurring inspections: it lists the equipment subject to them and the interval for each.
ASchG
Austria's framework law on employee protection: it puts keeping equipment in working order, and training whoever uses it, in the employer's hands.
Intervals
Wiederkehrende Prüfung (recurring inspection)
at the interval the AM-VO sets for that type of equipment; at least annual, in Austrian practice
a qualified person (fachkundige Person)
Pre-use check and maintenance
per the manufacturer's manual
the appointed driver and the workshop
NoteBefore settling on a plan, check the text of the AM-VO to see which entry your forklift falls under: the interval depends on the type of equipment, and this guide doesn't replace that reading.
Switzerland
References
OPI / VUV
Switzerland's Ordinance on Accident Prevention: it puts maintenance of equipment, per the manufacturer's guidance, in the employer's hands, without setting a single interval for forklifts.
Intervals
Maintenance and periodic check
per the manufacturer's guidance; Suva recommends a periodic check by a competent person
a competent person or specialist firm
Pre-use check
every shift
a driver instructed and authorised in writing
NoteSwitzerland has no single federal interval for forklifts: the plan comes from the equipment's manual and from Suva's checklists. Also check what your insurer requires and, on a building site, what the client asks for.
What we get asked most.
How often does a forklift need a periodic inspection?
It depends on the forklift. The counterbalance forklift isn't among the Allegato VII equipment under D.Lgs 81/2008: it has no periodic inspection carried out by INAIL or the ASL. It has the quarterly check of ropes and chains under Allegato VI, point 3.1.2 — "in the absence of specific instructions from the manufacturer" — plus whatever checks the manual requires, usually a start-of-shift check and services tied to hours worked. Self-propelled telehandlers, on the other hand, are in Allegato VII: an inspection every twelve months.
Does a forklift have to be inspected by INAIL or the ASL every year?
No, if it's a counterbalance forklift: that type doesn't appear in Allegato VII, the list of equipment with a periodic inspection by an authorised body — mobile elevating work platforms, cranes, load-lifting equipment above 200 kg. Yes, if it's a self-propelled telehandler: the first inspection by INAIL, later ones by ASL/ARPA or an authorised private body, every twelve months. The "annual check" that workshops offer on ordinary forklifts is good practice, often something the manual requires, not a legal obligation.
What does the quarterly check of ropes and chains cover?
Allegato VI, point 3.1.2 of D.Lgs 81/2008 requires ropes and chains to be checked every three months, in the absence of specific instructions from the manufacturer. On a forklift it mainly concerns the mast's lift chains: elongation, lubrication, pin wear, the condition of the pulleys and retainers. It can be carried out by a competent person appointed by the employer, including someone in-house; the result has to be put in writing, with the date and the name of whoever checked it. If the manual sets its own interval, that's the one that counts.
Does a forklift operator licence expire?
The certificate doesn't expire like an ID card, but it does need refreshing: for equipment that requires a specific licence — self-propelled forklifts included — the Accordo Stato-Regioni calls for a 4-hour refresher, including a practical part, within five years of issue and then every five years after that. The training rules have been revised in recent years, so check the duration and content against the version currently in force. Either way, the licence doesn't replace the employer's written appointment.
What happens if I miss a check, or if a telehandler's inspection has expired?
There's no sticker that turns red: there's just a piece of equipment working with nobody able to show what state it's in. Formally, missing checks and inspections are violations of article 71 of D.Lgs 81/2008, penalised under article 87; practically, after an accident the first thing that gets asked for is the record of the last checks. For a telehandler with an expired inspection, there's only one way forward: request it from the competent body, and keep the machine parked until it's been carried out.
Does ToriSet keep track of forklift deadlines for me?
ToriSet helps you keep to them. You record each forklift with its serial number, site and manual attached, and set its deadlines: the quarterly ropes-and-chains check by months, the service by hours, the telehandler's inspection by date. From there the logbook keeps count — dates are calculated from the last job logged, reminders go out 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before to whoever needs to act, and reports stay attached to the right machine. The checks and inspections themselves remain the responsibility of whoever carries them out, and the article 71 obligations remain the employer's.
Related guides
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Put your forklifts in a single logbook: the quarterly check resets from the last logged check, services count the hours, and reports stay attached to the right machine. Reminders arrive ahead of the deadline, for you and for whoever needs to act.
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