Can I inspect my own car and truck lift?
Part 2: Alternatives to self-inspecting
In Part 1, we identified some key considerations when deciding whether you should inspect your own car or truck lift. The first was to assess the lifts in your shop and your comfort level in performing a thorough inspection to all of the requirements in the national safety standard, knowing that your safety and the safety of your colleagues and those moving daily through the service bay will be in your hands if
you take on self-inspection. The second was to determine if you or someone on your staff is competent and qualified to perform a thorough annual inspection, considering the stringent requirements of OSHA and ANSI/ALI ALIOM standards to keep your shop in compliance and operating safely. Recall that not following national standards and provincial regulations comes with serious consequences. If you or a designated staff member choose to self-inspect, the entire process could be reviewed and result in financial penalties, and in instances where property damage, injury or a loss of life has occurred, inspection and employee records may be subject to litigation. Annual lift inspections are incredibly thorough operations – is there really someone in your shop who can take that on, and whom you trust with that level of responsibility? Or should you follow the advice of service and repair shops to leave it to the experts?
Part 1 may have left you:
In that case, you should consider hiring a certified third party to inspect your car or truck lift. The Automotive Lift Institute maintains a directory of ALI certified car lift inspectors so you can find one near you with ease. ALI Certified Lift Inspectors are required to document real industry experience before sitting for the first of multiple examinations that ALI requires be passed prior to completing. They also must complete, and submit for review, multiple practical lift inspections selected to represent each of the lift types used throughout North America. Lift Inspectors certified by the Automotive Lift Institute are knowledgeable in inspection practices for car and truck lifts from any manufacturer, and they’re qualified to follow standardized procedures to consistently inspect every lift they encounter. When you schedule your lift’s annual inspection, tell the inspector that you want a Check360™ Certified Lift Inspection – and don’t settle for anything less.
Check360 is a comprehensive inspection process backed by ALI as meeting all the requirements outlined in the national safety standard covering automotive lift operation, inspection and maintenance, ANSI/ALI ALOIM:2020. A Check360 Certified Lift Inspection includes extensive examination of the lift structure and electrical and mechanical components, as well as review of training logs, operating instructions, and safety materials.
Only ALI Certified Lift Inspectors can perform Check360 Certified Lift Inspections, but simply hiring a lift inspector certified by ALI doesn’t guarantee you’ll get a Check360 inspection. That’s right! Some inspection companies offer “tiers” of inspection or other alternate evaluations that may or may not meet the requirements of the national safety standard for lift inspection, ANSI standards, health and safety requirements, and the peace-of-mind an employer needs at the end of the day. That’s why it’s important to ask for a Check360 Certified Lift Inspection by name and to demand ALI’s Check360 Certified inspection label is applied as your immediate and visible assurance of compliance.
Don’t forget that a quality lift safety program doesn’t stop at annual inspections, or even daily inspections – it also includes training and education for each lift operator. Once you know that your lift is in excellent working condition following an annual inspection, take the opportunity for yourself and your staff to brush up on your knowledge with automotive lift training available from ALI. Lifting It Right can be completed online in under one hour from your laptop, phone, or mobile device. Lifting It Right is a time and cost-effective step you can take to improve employee confidence while fulfilling necessary lift safety training or to use as an annual refresher that focuses on proper lift operation. Successfully completing Lifting It Right allows each person to receive a certificate of completion for training record and audit purposes.
Interested in more materials for your lift safety plan or to support your own training activities than just the Lifting It Right online course? Once you’ve added the course to your cart, be sure to add the Car Lift Safety Materials Value Pack, which includes the course’s accompanying “Lifting It Right Safety Manual,” the ALOIM consensu
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