June 1, 2018—Earlier this week, the Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) announced that counterfeit lift inspection labels have been found in New York City and Long Island, with records going back to at least 2016. The labels resemble ALI’s annual inspection label, but have been applied by a company not affiliated with ALI in any way.
R.W. "Bob" O’Gorman, president of ALI, said this is the first time ALI has seen counterfeit labels appearing in shops before, and that this is a serious safety issue for any shop or dealership who has these counterfeit lift labels. ALI has provided a list of pictures (listed above) detailing the colors and timelines of each of ALI’s past lift inspection labels for comparison. If your 2016 lift inspection label does not match ALI's 2016 label, O'Gorman says you should contact ALI immediately.
“If you’re looking at a label, and there’s any question as to its authenticity, you should just pick up the phone and contact ALI,” O’Gorman said. “ALI staff will work with the individual placing the call, and ask them a series of questions to determine if it’s a valid label with a valid placement by an ALI inspector.”
Regardless, O’Gorman said shops should have their lifts inspected every year, so even if they have a legitimate 2016 inspection label on a lift, it’s time to get it inspected again. O’Gorman said the employer has an obligation to protect their employees from known risks and hazards, and the American National Standard used by ALI said that every installed vehicle lift must be inspected by a qualified lift inspector at least annually. Ratchet+Wrench previously discussed what every shop needs to know about conducting regular lift inspections.
“Seek out inspectors who are providing a service that results in an ALI label being applied to every lift that passes inspection,” O’Gorman said. “If a shop’s lift inspection results in any other label being applied to the lift other than the one that carries the ALI certification mark, it’s not an inspection service that’s been validated, or approved by ALI.”
The Dangers of Lift Inspection Failure
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Back in 2016, Ratchet+Wrench detailed the story of TJ Cleveland, a shop owner who purchased a new lift and learned the dangers of lift inspection failure through a catastrophic shop accident. Thorough research and measurements eventually allowed Cleveland's lift purchase to up his shop's efficiency.
