When it comes to maintaining the forklift, it could really be easy to overlook the simple yet essential tire. If you choose the wrong tire, you could end up accidentally with a huge increase in fleet operating expenses, or increased safety risks, which is worse yet. If on the other hand, you choose correct type of tire you can enjoy significant cost-savings, improved safety and an overall more effective operation. A properly selected tire can actually lessen the downtime for replacement and probably last 40 percent longer.
The forklift tire is a quite complex part of the equipment. It is therefore, easy to select the wrong kind accidentally. There are a lot of different brands of tires and types, with different treads and compounds. This means you should be fully prepared with the right data when you are buying tires so that you could decide on some safe and durable options to help prolong the life of your forklift.
Your business should select the specific tire for their equipment according to the kind of surface the machinery will be operated on. Indoor applications and smoother surfaces for example, will usually utilize tires that are smaller in size and made from rubber. On the other hand, outdoor applications need pneumatic tires. Pneumatic tires have a rubber tread and are filled with compressed air. These characteristics give them a great grip on surfaces that are uneven and rough.
Lift Truck Tire Safety
Each year, there are roughly 200 individuals killed in accidents related for forklift use. Ensuring lift truck safety, like proper inspection practices, could all contribute in to preventing these dangerous and horrible accidents from happening.
Pre-Work Check
The tires of the lift truck have to be checked prior to every shift. Tires should ideally have the right air pressure, which is set by the tire manufacturer. This is extremely essential because if the tire pressure is too low, the machinery could inadvertently tip over when a load is being raised.
Types
The tires used on indoor lift trucks would be made out of solid rubber.
Other Considerations
The OHSA or Occupational Health and Safety Administration require that forklifts utilized on a continual basis need to be inspected at the completion of each and every shift. The operator must check the machine for any kind of mechanical problems and the tires must be inspected for cuts, excessive wear or apparent damage to the tires. Any problems which are detected should be addressed as soon as possible to maintain safety.