vehicleliftguide-march2023 - 18

INSPECTIONS
A closer look at lift inspections
Lift inspections are an important aspect of technician
efficiency and shop safety, so shops need to be sure
that they're ready to pass with flying colors.
By Alex Keenan, Associate Editor, Fleet Maintenance
W
hile they may disagree on
what manufacturer or type
of lift is superior, one thing
all vehicle lift experts can agree on
is the need for annual inspections,
as an improperly maintained lift can
lead to vehicle damage and, even
worse, serious injury or fatality.
" It's not a matter of if a lift is going
to fail, but a matter of when, " warns ALI
President R. W. " Bob " O'Gorman. " It's a
mechanical device, and all mechanical
devices have got to be properly maintained
and inspected. "
And Jason Matthews, product manager
at Rotary Lift, notes that along with
safety and longevity, there's revenue at
stake. At the very least, it will cost a shop
" over $1,000 a day that's lost when a lift
is down, " he offers. That alone is good
reason to get a certified inspector into the
shop every year to inspect them.
" The American National Standards
Institute standard [ANSI/ALI ALOIM
'Safety Requirements for Operation,
Inspection and Maintenance'] says, and
has always said, that vehicle lifts are to be
inspected annually. Period, " emphasizes
Steve Perlstein, president of Mohawk
Lifts. And he agrees that " an experienced
lift inspector " should complete the task.
ALI'S NEW APPROACH
Through its Certified Lift Inspector
Program, ALI tests and certifies qualified
lift inspectors. These ALI Certified
Lift Inspectors can inspect any lift. ALI
encourages shops to demand a Check360
Certified Lift Inspection-a comprehensive
examination of the lift structure, its
18 I Vehicle Lift Guide I March 2023
electrical and mechanical components,
training logs, operating instructions
and safety manuals. Only Check360
inspections are backed by ALI to meet
all the requirements in the national lift
safety standard. A passing lift receives
an exclusive Check360 Certified Lift
Inspection label featuring the program
logo hologram, a serial number matching
the inspection report and the inspector's
individual ID.
PREPARATION MAKES PERFECT
It's important to note that shops must do a
little prep work to ensure the inspector can
get in and out as quickly as possible. First
off, the shop should perform the necessary
maintenance on lifts to ensure they pass.
Part of this process includes ensuring
that each lift is properly labeled
with its capacity label and safety
placard before an inspection. Even
if labels aren't available, keeping the
lift's bill of sale or owner's manual
on hand can work as an apt substitute,
notes Buck Gasner, a certified lift
inspector for DEKRA North America
This element is particularly critical,
as Gasner estimates that many lifts that
fail their inspections do so not because
of any technical problems, but because
of improper documentation.
" People sometimes get angry when we
say they fail for lack of a capacity label,
but it's [really] simple, " Gasner says. " How
can I tell you if the lift is doing what it's
supposed to do if I don't even know what
the lift is supposed to do? "
Adding insult to injury with an
improperly labeled lift is the process
of reinspecting the equipment once its
documentation has been corrected. With
some inspectors traveling to shops within
a specific timeframe, scheduling a
reinspection can be more costly in time
and money than a shop would prefer.
Additionally, making sure that all the
necessary documents, including manuals
and training records, are organized
and accessible is a critical time saver,
though one inspectors wish was followed
more often.
" We ask for all these materials, and
99 out of 100 times, it's the end of the
day and the shop is still digging through
filing cabinets, " Gasner says. " If they take
the time the day before to have that ready,
that helps everything go much smoother
as well. "
" We get asked a lot of times, 'Can
you mail me the label after I fix it?' No,
no, we cannot, " Gasner clarifies. " Those
labels are treated like gold and serialized...
So, the number one way to get
recertified would be to come back and
do a reinspect. "
If bringing an inspector back around
to the location is not an option, a shop
must be able to build a watertight paper
trail to prove their compliance. This
means having the first lift inspection
that displays any problems and then the
invoice or work order for the part or label
that needed replacement.
" And at that point in time, if an AHJ
(authorities having jurisdiction) has a
question, [the shop] can say, 'Yes, here's
my inspection report that showed [the lift]
had this deficiency, here's documentation
that this deficiency was taken care
of.' And at that point, you're covered, "
Gasner says.
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