Pallet forks on Excavators - Guidelines?

[APhillips]

Something I have noticed over the past few years is the increasing use of pallet forks on excavators, not just on tiltrotator equipped machines but also regular machines.

At Mecalac when we specify a set of pallet forks with a machine order we are required to add a bucket cylinder safety valve to the machine as if a bucket hose were to fail under the use of pallet forks the result could be catastrophic. I have noticed that the majority machines on sites using pallet forks don't seem to have any sort of safety valve on the bucket cylinder.

I am aware that Loler tests are required for machines that carry out regular lifting but what are the guidelines for the use of pallet forks?

Is this just a very bad accident waiting to happen?

 

[JD450A]

Officially you should really have a check valve..... Although most older loading shovels and BHLs used for such jobs don't.

Unofficially, don't lift things over people.

 

[DaveDCB]

Officially you should really have a check valve..... Although most older loading shovels and BHLs used for such jobs don't.

Unofficially, don't lift things over people.

I think until very recently BHL’s have only just started putting check valves on the bucket cylinders, and that may only be on the front hitch machines/still only an option. Am abit out of date now I don’t go to the test sites anymore.